


Devil's Snare

by heavnlys



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 69,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24687865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heavnlys/pseuds/heavnlys
Summary: Laurel Scamander, the daughter of Luna Lovegood, has known of the golden boy of Hogwarts, James Sirius Potter, all her life, but never really got to know him. James, on the other hand, had always had an eye for her. When their sixth year comes around, things seem to change, especially when they find themselves one night tangled together in devil's snare. Things begin to unravel and Laurel finds herself drawn to him again and again.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, James Sirius Potter/Original Female Character(s), Luna Lovegood/Rolf Scamander
Kudos: 18





	1. RADIANT

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGINALLY POSTED ON WATTPAD.  
> here is a trailer i made if you want to take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kcQM4Sp_Iw  
> i'm just throwing this here bc a good friend told me to. enjoy! :)  
> also, this does NOT follow the cursed child.

**EVERYONE SAID SHE LOOKED** like her mother.   
  
  
  
  


⠀⠀The spitting image of her mother actually. Laurel Pandora Scamander was a sight for sore eyes. Her head held long tresses of dirty blonde hair that resembled the color of spring yellow dandelions, which sometimes had brightly colored ribbons weaved into braids or was up in a messy bun held up by her wand. She had small lips that made the prettiest smile and let out the most melodious laugh. Her ears occasionally held a pair of strawberry earrings or a butterbeer cork necklace would adorn her neck. Whenever she looked up, the bright blue eyes that she had gained from her father pierced the onlooker's soul, as if she knew them inside out.  
  
  


⠀⠀And when she looked at James Sirius Potter for the first time in fifteen years, he knew there was no going back.   
  
  
  
  
  


⠀⠀He had to take off his glasses (which he hated) and put them back on when he saw her. Laurel had given him a confused look, shook her head and returned to the book she had been reading, a small smile on her face, forgetting about the incident as soon as she turned away.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel and James were in the same house, Gryffindor, and the same year. But most people said she should've been placed in Ravenclaw with her older brother, Lysander. She honestly didn't really mind what house she got into as long as she had friends. Everyone claimed Slytherin to be bad, but Laurel found no malevolence in any of the houses. Slytherins were just smart and sly people. They were ambitious and Laurel admired them for it.   
  


⠀⠀Both of them had met multiple times before because of their mothers' close friendship when they were little tykes, but because Laurel had spent so much time in the library with her two best friends and in the Forbidden Forest to draw, the both of them hardly ever spoke while at Hogwarts. James had his own group of friends and Quidditch to focus on than her.

⠀⠀But it wasn't until his fifth year in Potions class that he had finally taken a good look at Laurel.   
  


⠀⠀And _Merlin, she was radiant._  
  
  


⠀⠀James Sirius Potter was known for being the eldest son of the famous Harry Potter. He gave off a discreet pompous vibe like the two people he was named after, but everyone knew that once you got to know him, he wasn't so bad. He looked very much like his father, except he didn't inherit the famous green eyes. Ginny's beautiful chocolate brown eyes were given to him, along with her contagious energetic smile. A mat of untidy black hair sat on his head which billowed whenever he flew, and stuck onto his forehead whenever it got wet. He had his father's face structure and lanky frame. From both, he inherited amazing Quidditch abilities, playing Chaser for the Gryffindor team.

⠀⠀He was rather witty, like his mother, had a kind heart like his father, but nosy to the likes of his uncle. And he had no problem with it. A pair of rectangular black glasses sat upon his nose, slipping down once in awhile, just for him to push them back up annoyedly. He hated them. Which was why he hardly ever wore them.   
  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel walked through the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, heading to the compartment that her two best friends, Callen Li and Dominique Weasley had hastily hogged. 

⠀⠀They were riding the Express to their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which Laurel highly enjoyed going to. Though school was stressful, she found magic extremely intriguing. It was the year that every sixth-year student was to make a career choice and Laurel wanted to become a Healer. She didn't know why, especially because neither of her parents had much experience in healing, but she found joy in helping people get better. 

⠀⠀She opened the door to the compartment, finding Callen and Dominique feasting on their trolley treats, fighting over which to keep for Laurel.

⠀⠀"Laurel doesn't like Licorice Wands," Callen Li said, shaking her head at her friend. 

⠀⠀Callen Li was fair in complexion, reminding everyone of the moon. She had a pair of dark brown eyes that resembled the color of dark chocolate and a bright smile that was almost always on her face. Black waves of hair lengthened to her mid-back, which was currently braided into two French braids, small baby hairs framing her face. She was the smartest out of the three girls (which Callen claimed was because she was Asian, but the other two simply rolled their eyes) and held the gentlest of voices. 

⠀⠀"Well, I do, so I'll take it," Dominique Weasley said, grabbing the Licorice Wand from Callen's hand. 

⠀⠀Dominique Weasley was the second out of three children of Bill and Fleur Weasley, which meant she was also part Veela. Callen and Laurel were completely fascinated with the fact when they found out, while Dominique quickly dismissed it like it was nothing. She was the only redhead out of the three children and the only one without freckles covering every part of her body. She had her father's sea blue eyes and her mother's effortless attractiveness. However, she was never found with a boy's arm around her shoulder, but instead rejecting the boy's arm and retreating to sit thirty feet away from him.   
  


⠀⠀"You do have Cauldron Cakes though, right?" Laurel asked as she pushed open the door, making the girls jump a little.  
⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin, you scared us," Dominique said, chuckling as Callen reached over to grab a Cauldron Cake package.  
⠀⠀"We saved like three Cauldron Cakes for you," Callen said as Laurel sat down, taking the package from her friend's hand. "Why don't you like Licorice Wands again?"  
⠀⠀"Because they don't taste good," Laurel said simply, opening the package and taking a bite. "I don't like licorice. But if you like licorice then by all means. I don't mind it as long as you don't shove it in my mouth."

⠀⠀Callen nodded as Dominique chewed away on her Licorice Wand.

⠀⠀"Where's your little boyfriend?" Dominique asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Callen.  
⠀⠀"You mean Evan?" Callen asked nonchalantly.  
⠀⠀"Yes, _Evan_. You don't mean you have another boyfriend, do you?" Dominique replied sarcastically. Laurel chuckled as she pulled out her sketch pad, Callen smiling sarcastically at her red haired friend.  
⠀⠀"He's probably with Potter or something," Callen stated dismissively.  
⠀⠀"Shouldn't a _good_ boyfriend be here with you?" Dominique asked.  
⠀⠀"I told him he didn't need to," Callen admitted. "It would be weird having six people crammed into a compartment with Evan, Potter, _and_ Arlington. And if it's just him alone it'll be awkward because he'd be the only male."  
⠀⠀"Actually, Louis is stuck with two older sisters for two months during the summer and he's okay with it. I suppose Evan should be okay with it too," Dominique concluded, shrugging.  
⠀⠀"But he's been with you for fourteen years. He's used to it," Laurel retaliated.  
⠀⠀"That's true," Dominique admitted.  
⠀⠀"Mmhmm," Callen said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Dom, you still haven't found the one?"  
⠀⠀"No," Dominique said, shrugging. "I might just stay single for the rest of my life."

⠀⠀"Same here," Laurel said, her eyes on her drawing pad, her pencil making swift strokes on the paper as she began drawing.  
⠀⠀"Well, I'm sticking with Evan," Callen said, throwing a Chocolate Frog in her mouth. "Oh my Merlin, I got the Harry Potter card _again_."  
⠀⠀"I see the actual person whenever we have family reunions," Dominique said tiredly. "Which is like all the time. Because Aunt Hermione loves reunions for some reason."  
⠀⠀"Which one do you want?" Laurel asked Callen, chuckling.  
⠀⠀"The Nicolas Flamel one," Callen said, putting the card on the side. "It's a rare one."  
⠀⠀"I have that one back home," Laurel said, looking up. "Two of them, actually. Do you want one? I can ask my mum to owl it to me."  
⠀⠀"No, it's alright," Callen said, shrugging. "I'll just wait for it."  
⠀⠀"Okay," Laurel said, smiling as she returned to her drawing.  
⠀⠀"Or you can make Evan eat loads of Chocolate Frogs until he finds it," Dominique suggested, a playful glint in her blue eyes.  
⠀⠀"That would be cruel!" Callen exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. "No, I'm not going to make my boyfriend suffer because of some Chocolate Frog card."  
⠀⠀"It was just a suggestion," Dominique said, chuckling as she sprawled on her compartment seat, yawning and closing her eyes.  
⠀⠀"Why are you yawning? The trip to Hogwarts isn't even halfway through," Callen said, a small piece of gold tin foil from a Chocolate Snitch at her friend's face.  
⠀⠀"What? I'm a sleepy teenager," Dominique said indignantly, sitting up immediately as the tin foil hit her nose. "Let me sleep."  
⠀⠀"You're not going to sleep later tonight though," Laurel said. "You're going to babble about hippogriffs and Blast-Ended Skrewts all night and keep us all awake."  
⠀⠀Dominique laughed. "That sounds more like what you would do, Laurel. Besides, I think I ate too many Licorice Wands that day."   
⠀⠀" _Too_ many? You ate like twenty-five of them!" Callen exclaimed. "You went Licorice Wand-happy."  
⠀⠀"Then I didn't eat any for the next five months!" Dominique replied as she tossed the gold tin foil back at Callen who dodged it quickly, lying back down.  
⠀⠀"I did write a few articles on hippogriffs and Blast-Ended Skrewts before," Laurel said, smiling with pride. "And they were—"  
⠀⠀"Yes, they were published in the Quibbler. We know," Dominique said, rolling her eyes.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel smiled, shrugging, returning to her sketch that was slowly beginning to turn into a wooded area of sorts. She wasn't really thinking about what she was drawing. It was more like her hand had a mind of its own, wandering into the depths of her own mind and finally producing a drawing of sorts. Most sketches ended up being ones of her black cat, which she had named Caesar once she adopted him. He was currently sitting in the shelves above the girls' heads in the compartment, napping his way through the trip to Hogwarts. She was sure he'd nap his way through the entire year while she would be stressing about some History of Magic exam.   
  


⠀⠀"What are you drawing?" Dominique asked, leaning across from her seat.

⠀⠀Laurel quickly reacted by slapping her hand on the drawing, shaking her head. "An artist never shows their work, Dom."  
⠀⠀"Come on, Laurel, I'm your _best_ friend."  
⠀⠀"I'll show you when I'm done," Laurel said, shaking her head as Dominique cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "I _promise_."  
⠀⠀"Fine," Dominique sighed, leaning back on the seat and then laying down on her seat, closing her eyes and swinging an arm over them.  
⠀⠀"Castor is worried as hell about not getting into Gryffindor," Callen said thoughtfully. "I think he'll get into Hufflepuff though. He's too kind to be in Gryffindor."  
⠀⠀"Tell your brother that it doesn't matter what house he gets into because not all the houses are bad," Laurel said, smiling. "Not even Slytherin."  
⠀⠀"I only hate Slytherin because they beat us at the Quidditch House Cup last year," Dominique said resentfully. Callen and Laurel rolled their eyes.  
⠀⠀"It's just Quidditch. You didn't die when we lost last year so relax," Laurel said, chuckling at Dominique, who still had her arm over her eyes.

⠀⠀A knock came from the door before Dominique could respond. The three girls looked up, Dominique moving the arm covering her eyes to see who it was, Laurel looking up from her sketching, and Callen turning from the window to the person. 

⠀⠀"Well, there's your _lovely_ boyfriend," Dominique said tiredly as she covered her eyes with her arm again as Laurel slid the door open for Evan.  
⠀⠀"Hi, Evan," Laurel said, waving as Callen jumped up and into Evan's arms.   
  


⠀⠀Evan Wood was about at least a head taller than Callen, making them quite perfect for each other, in Laurel's opinion at least. He could almost rest his chin comfortably on her head. He had light brown skin, black tousled hair, a pair of dark obsidian irises, and a stocky build. He had a very soft looking face and was known for being incredibly kind to almost everyone (which is why the three girls really thought he should've been in Hufflepuff, but the Sorting Hat has its reasons). He was the Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team (like his father, Oliver Wood) and was pretty good at it too. Laurel highly respected the boy, especially because he treated Callen so well.   
  


⠀⠀"Hi, Laurel," Evan replied after pecking Callen on her cheek. "And hello, Dominique."

⠀⠀Dominique simply waved at the boy, not bothering to remove the arm from her eyes as Laurel chuckled at her friend's passive behavior.

⠀⠀"Ignore her," Callen said, waving Dominique away as Evan slid his hand around her waist. "How have you been?"  
⠀⠀"Great," Evan replied, smiling. "Better now that you're here with me."  
⠀⠀"You know how to talk, don't you?" Callen flirted, chuckling as she smacked him gently on his chest. Dominique groaned discreetly at the two and Laurel could tell she was rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀Laurel really did believe that the two were unbelievably adorable together (as did everyone in Gryffindor, maybe everyone Hogwarts too) and she was quite ready for their wedding to happen already. She grinned as the couple talked amongst themselves, both stumbling as the train jolted against the tracks. She returned to her drawing and ended up adding the couple to the foreground of the sketch. _Oops_ , she thought. Dominique was going to have a fit.

⠀⠀The blonde knew that Dominique didn't actually hate Evan for dating Callen; Dominique actually really enjoyed the couple being together, especially because of the way Evan treated Callen. Dominique was terribly honest with everyone and everyone knew not to take it too hard. Callen, on the other hand, was incredibly kind and gave off a vulnerable demeanor. But never mistake one's kindness as weakness.   
  


⠀⠀Dominique sat up finally, staring at the two who were still visibly flirting.

⠀⠀"Where's my cousin?" she blurted, her flaming red hair messed up.  
⠀⠀"Right here," a black haired boy appeared next to Evan. "You were looking for me, Dom?"  
⠀⠀"No," Dominique replied as James Potter walked into the compartment, taking a seat next to blonde, not noticing that it was Laurel Scamander. "I was just wondering if you were alive because you didn't answer my owl yesterday."  
⠀⠀"Sorry about that. I got caught up with homework that I had been procrastinating on," James explained, leaning back on the seat, his hands on his head. He accidentally elbowed Laurel, moving the hand which was drawing, causing her to leave a stray mark on her page.  
⠀⠀"Oh, fuck—I'm so sorry..." he trailed off as he looked at her, realizing then that it was Laurel Scamander he had unconsciously sat down next to. "Scamander?"  
⠀⠀" _Potter_ ," Laurel replied, trying not to get too worked up about the pencil mark that made Callen's leg too long. She pulled out her eraser and rubbed the mark away, her discontent ebbing away as the mark disappeared.  
⠀⠀"Sorry about — er, messing up your sketch," James muttered, quite flustered at the girl's intense staring. _This was Laurel Scamander!_ He didn't even notice. And now he had messed up her sketch.  
⠀⠀"It's fine," Laurel said quietly, returning to draw Callen's leg the right way.  
⠀⠀"Er—it's a nice sketch," James said nervously, his glasses sliding down his nose, his hand flying up to push them back up.  
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "Thank you."  
⠀⠀"You're—erm—welcome," James stammered, rubbing the back of his neck as Callen and Evan sat down next to a very confused Dominique. She was staring at her best friend and cousin talk. They rarely ever spoke to each other.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel smiled at James, turning to look at him with her shining blue eyes, giving him a five second look that seemed to be searching his face. Then she turned back to her sketch, oblivious to the fact that the color of James' ears were growing to an abnormal shade of red, his eyes still on her face. Dominique couldn't help but smirk as she leant back and chewed on her unfinished Licorice Wand. 

⠀⠀James couldn't stop staring at Laurel. Her smile was radiant like the sun, the hair that fell loose from her golden bun seemed to fall effortlessly into place around her face, and her eyes were devastatingly beautiful, slowly tearing him apart. He tore his eyes away from the girl before he could melt in his seat, retreating to staring at his cousin, who was visibly shaking with silent laughter. Evan was smirking at his friend, wiggling his dark eyebrows, while Callen slowly came into realization as to why her red haired friend was silently laughing uncontrollably, covering her growing smile behind her hand.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel, on the other hand, was quite oblivious to everything that was going on.


	2. CHOCOLATE PUDDING

**THE FIVE SIXTH YEARS** entered Hogwarts castle, Dominique taking the lead, Callen and Evan behind her, with James and Laurel behind them, silently walking next to each other. James hated this. It was torturing him. The fact that he wanted to talk to her but didn't know what to say was slowly killing him. And she had no idea.

⠀⠀Laurel had thrown a few glances at James' way, noticing that he looked extremely uncomfortable for some reason. But she couldn't quite catch as to why he was so tense. She then proceeded to shrug it off, happily anticipating the new year at Hogwarts. She noticed the trail of first-years in their boats that cut through the glassy Black Lake, heading either into a new world of intriguing magic or into a stressful seven years of their life. It was probably both for some of them. They were getting smaller and smaller every year. 

⠀⠀Asher Arlington ran up to James, his school robes billowing behind him.

⠀⠀"Thanks for ditching me!" he exclaimed, his hand landing on James' shoulder, who promptly turned around. Laurel turned around as well to see who it was.   
  
  


⠀⠀Asher was extremely tall (he was like a giraffe compared to a lot of the Gryffindor boys), had a tousle of curly dark brown hair on his head, a pair of dark brown eyes that seemed close enough to black, his dark skin darker from the summer sun than the last time Laurel had seen him. His stocky build made him a perfect Quidditch player, thus he played the part of a Beater. His sharp and angular jaw was the source of many crushes on him (from both genders). But whether he knew it or not, he really only liked one girl. _Dominique Weasley._  
  
  
  


⠀⠀"Sorry, we got a little too comfortable in their compartment," Evan said as Asher rolled his eyes, walking up towards Dominique, who paid him no mind at all. Dominique kept on walking, taking three minutes to notice that a really tall boy was now walking beside her.   
  
  


⠀⠀"So you like drawing," James finally piped up as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, a loud chatter rising in a crescendo around the Great Hall. He placed himself strategically next to Laurel.   
⠀⠀"And painting," Laurel said simply, looking around at the ceiling that was lit by floating candles. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the galaxy for tonight, tomorrow may have another surprise for them. Every year, the ceiling never failed to fascinate her.   
  


⠀⠀"Oh," James said simply. "And Dom tells me you don't show anyone your work?"  
⠀⠀"No," Laurel replied, "I don't. Well, on certain cases I do. But that's only if you're _that_ close to me."  
⠀⠀"Like best friend close?" James inquired.   
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, looking back down from the ceiling at the gold cup set up with her plate and silverware.   
⠀⠀"Hypothetically speaking, would you show your boyfriend?" James continued to ask, the words coming out of his mouth before he could think.   
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel replied, looking up at James, unknowingly piercing him again with her blue eyes. "Though I'd rather not talk about the topic of boyfriends."  
⠀⠀"Why—?"   
⠀⠀"Don't press it, James," Dominique quickly cut in, noticing her friend's slight uneasiness, who turned away from James quickly.   
⠀⠀"Oh," James said quickly, turning from the blonde to his cousin, quickly mouthing a ' _Why?_ ' to her. Dominique made a slicing motion with her hand at her neck, telling him to not question it at all. But James was James and he would find out.   
  
  


⠀⠀Headmistress McGonagall walked up to the podium in front of the Hogwarts staff tables, signaling for silence throughout the entire Great Hall. She was the headmistress and ruled the school with an iron fist. Professor Neville Longbottom was the head of Gryffindor instead (and every year he proudly retold the story of killing Nagini with the sword of Godric Gryffindor to interested first years). 

⠀⠀A small smile cracked through Headmistress McGonagall's naturally hard face as she looked at all the students. "Let the Sorting begin."

⠀⠀Laurel watched the legendary Sorting Hat sing, the first years then sitting down on the stool for it to be placed on them, applauding every time a new Gryffindor had been added to their table. Most of the Gryffindors cheered loudly for the new Gryffindors, including Dominique and Callen, but Laurel resulted to staying quiet as she always did. There were surprisingly more Gryffindors this year. Back in Laurel's year, there had only been three Gryffindor girls: her, Dominique, and Callen. Most had been boys, while most of the girls in their year had been sorted into Ravenclaw.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel tried not to think about how easily James had almost tapped into her most sensitive and darkest parts. Obviously, he wasn't doing it knowingly and she didn't blame him. Thank Merlin Dom had saved her. She shook off the thought and turned back to the Sorting ceremony.   
  


⠀⠀There were ten more first-years that were sorted until McGonagall walked up to the podium again to give her yearly first night of school speech. Laurel paid attention to the first few lines until she grew bored, resulting to playing with the gold silverware laid out in every seat. James looked at her weirdly but then shook it off, realizing that this was Luna Scamander's daughter and that it was pretty normal for her to be acting eccentric. 

⠀⠀Soon the speech was over and the Feast began, delicious food popping up on the tables, with multiple hands reaching to grab what they could. Laurel went to use the tongs laid out, picking up some food and placing it on her plate. 

⠀⠀"You like chicken?" James asked as he tried to converse with the blonde again. The slip up before was still confusing him.   
⠀⠀"Yes," Laurel said simply, pointing at a rack next to James that she couldn't quite reach. "Could you pass me a cup of chocolate pudding?"   
⠀⠀"Oh—yeah, of course," James said, reaching over and picking up one for her. "I'm guessing you like the pudding too?"  
⠀⠀"It's my favorite," Laurel said, cutting through her chicken. "Do you like pudding?"  
⠀⠀"Yeah, but not too much," James replied, trying not to look like a savage as he held his chicken wing in his hands. Laurel looked much more civilized as she cut through hers.

⠀⠀Laurel nodded, smiling. "My mother makes the best pudding. Maybe I should ask her to send some so you could try."  
⠀⠀"Oh—there's no need for that. I could just steal some from the kitchen," James said quickly, gratitude flooding through him. She hardly even knew him and she was offering her mother's chocolate pudding to him.   
⠀⠀"Your mum knows my mum so it won't be a problem," Laurel said, shrugging. She laughed. "You steal from the kitchen?"  
⠀⠀"At midnight. When I'm hungry," James said, smiling that he had made the girl laugh. Her laugh was melodious, like a bird's musical chirp. He relished in the sound, trying not to fall too in love with it.   
⠀⠀"So you have an adventure every night making sure you don't get caught by the prefects," Laurel said, chuckling. "Isn't your cousin the Head Girl this year?"  
⠀⠀"You mean Lucy?" James asked. "Yeah, she'd definitely take off points if she saw me."  
⠀⠀"Wait—is that why Gryffindor lost five points almost every other night last year?" Laurel asked, now remembering how Hufflepuff had deservingly won the House Cup last year. Lorcan was ecstatic (and proceeded to shove it in his siblings' faces for the whole summer). "Because you were sneaking off and stealing food and your cousin found out?"

⠀⠀James' eyes grew and he turned around from Laurel, guilt written all over his face. " _Maybe_."  
  


⠀⠀Laurel let out another melodious laugh, causing James to turn around as he wasn't expecting her to laugh at him. Lucy had sworn to keep quiet about it, but Laurel was considerably observant on certain things, especially when it came to things like their house losing five points consistently. She caught patterns quickly. Besides, Laurel and Lucy hardly ever spoke to each other. They probably had only about five exchanges in dialogue in their entire time at Hogwarts.   
  


⠀⠀"You're not mad?" James asked, pushing his glasses back up from his nose.   
⠀⠀"No, of course not," Laurel said, shaking her head at him like he was crazy. "That was last year. This year, maybe you can come up with more stealthy ways to steal food so we don't lose any points."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, but I'm not _that_ smart," James said. "I will never be as good of a prankster as the person I was named after."  
⠀⠀"That's okay," Laurel shrugged. "You're a different person. You just share the same name. It doesn't mean you have to share the same level of stealthiness."  
⠀⠀James chuckled. "You're right. Maybe I'll be my own person."  
⠀⠀"Besides, you're great at Quidditch. Or so I've heard," Laurel said, now digging into her pudding.

⠀⠀James rubbed the back of his neck, smiling as he felt extremely flattered that this girl had bothered to notice how well he played Quidditch. Actually, he knew he was really good at it. But this was Laurel and he couldn't be boastful about it in front of her. "Yeah, I mean, I _suppose_ I am."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled at him, looking up and unknowingly tearing him apart with her dreamy bright blue eyes.

⠀⠀"Did you know my brother is dating your cousin?" Laurel asked casually.   
⠀⠀"You mean Lysander and Roxanne? They're kind of a huge thing at the Potter dinner table," James chuckled. "With Lily especially."  
⠀⠀"They're both in Ravenclaw, am I right?" Laurel asked, pointing at the pudding rack for James to pass her another one.   
⠀⠀"Yeah. That's why Lily knows so much about them, being in Ravenclaw," James said, rolling his eyes as he passed a cup of pudding to her. "She literally rambles on and on about them during dinner. It's kind of obsessive."  
⠀⠀"You mean like the way you talk to Evan and Asher about Quidditch?" Laurel asked.  
⠀⠀"We don't _obsessively_ talk about Quidditch," Evan popped in defensively.   
⠀⠀"I second that," Asher said, raising his hand.   
⠀⠀"Yeah, you do," Dominique said, rolling her eyes. "We know Quidditch is fun and all but you three talk about it _obsessively_."  
⠀⠀"You three," James said, waving his spoon at the two of them, "shut up. This is _my_ conversation with Laurel."  
⠀⠀"Selfish," Dominique said jokingly, rolling her eyes.   
⠀⠀" _Oooh_ ," Evan said, raising his eyebrows and putting his hands up in surrender as Callen laughed, " _Jamesey-poo_ getting the girl now, eh?"  
⠀⠀"Shut up, Evan," James said, tossing his balled up napkin at his friend as Laurel laughed. "You rudely interrupted our conversation, thanks."

⠀⠀Evan rolled his obsidian eyes, tossing the napkin back at James. But he stayed quiet, returning to talk to Callen.

⠀⠀" _Anyway_ ," James said, annoyedly, turning back to Laurel who was looking at Evan and Callen with knowing eyes. "As I was saying, Lily _ships_ , or as Rose says some Muggle term, your brother and my cousin."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, turning back to James, catching him off guard as she looked him straight in his brown eyes with her blue ones. " _Ships?_ What does that mean?"   
⠀⠀"I suppose it's like when you like two people together so you... _ship_ it?" James said, shrugging as he turned to the Ravenclaw table to search for his cousin. But he couldn't find her. "Screw it, she's probably off snogging Malfoy."  
⠀⠀" _What?_ " Laurel asked, almost spitting out her pudding. "Rose _Weasley_ and Scorpius _Malfoy_? You're crazy."  
⠀⠀"I'm not!" James exclaimed. "They got together last year."  
⠀⠀"Aren't Draco Malfoy and your uncle old school enemies?" Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"Sort of," James shrugged. "I mean, my uncle sees Malfoy all the time since he's always doing investigations at Gringotts. You know, Malfoy Senior works there."  
⠀⠀"I suppose," Laurel said. "Well, do your uncle and Malfoy know?"  
⠀⠀"No," James stated. "Aunt Hermione knows though. But she won't tell Uncle Ron because he'll explode. Literally."  
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "So your entire family knows except your uncle."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "Lily ships them too."  
⠀⠀"Does Lily ship _everything?_ " Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"She's twelve. It's not surprising," James huffed as he reached for a chocolate pudding for himself. Laurel smiled inwardly as she noticed his sudden craving for chocolate pudding. It was probably because she had already eaten three cups, but she didn't care.  
  
  


⠀⠀The conversation seemed to end there as Laurel around turned to Callen and Dominique. Just as she was about to reach for her fifth cup of chocolate pudding, all the food disappeared. She sighed, shrugging, resulting to getting up from her seat and following Callen and Dominique towards the Gryffindor tower, the boys trailing closely behind. 

⠀⠀They left the Great Hall in the same order that they had entered it, James gravitating towards Laurel as he always did. Not like she noticed anyway. 

⠀⠀There was a whole crowd of Gryffindors in front of the tower door, none of them knowing the password, the Fat Lady chuckling. A tall brown haired boy then pushed through the crowd, his blue eyes and blue tie all too familiar to Laurel.

⠀⠀"Excuse me! You Gryffindors aren't the only ones that have to go to bed," Liam Anderson exclaimed, finally making his way to the side where Laurel and James stood, almost walking into her. Laurel and Liam locked eyes for a moment, Laurel's eyes burning into his skull, her eyes flaming. Laurel Scamander rarely ever hated anyone. She only hated one person in all of Hogwarts. And it was Liam Anderson. 

⠀⠀James took notice of Laurel's sudden change in mood, looking between the two. He quickly made up an excuse to make Liam move, noticing that Laurel was getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

⠀⠀"Get on with it, Anderson," James said quickly, his arm rising to gently hold Laurel's back as if he were trying to protect her. "Don't keep the entire Gryffindor House out here all night."   
⠀⠀"Right," Liam said, breaking from his gaze and Laurel, who seemed to be relieved as she was no longer in Liam's line of vision. He looked at James and at his hand, but his blue eyes continued to be steady and calm. It was the way that the weather was calm right before a storm. Laurel gave James a grateful look before looking down at her shoes. "I'll be going now." 

⠀⠀After sparing Laurel one last look, the Ravenclaw quickly scurried away, much to Laurel's relief. Eventually, the Gryffindor prefect came back out of the portrait hole, telling them all the password.   
  


⠀⠀"What the fuck?" Asher asked as the Fat Lady swung open, revealing the portrait hole. "What kind of a password is ' _Goldenberg_ '?"   
⠀⠀"Probably the last name of her long lost lover from a thousand years ago," James joked rather loudly.   
⠀⠀"Go to bed, Potter!" the Fat Lady yelled, causing laughter to erupt within the teenage Gryffindors, James chuckling at his own joke, glancing at Laurel to see if she had caught it.   
  


⠀⠀But she hadn't. During all of this, Laurel had not been listening. She was too mixed up in her own thoughts to hear anything. She felt so sad and she didn't know why. She was over Liam so why did she feel like this? Laurel had loved him so and then he went and tore it all apart. She hated this feeling. She hated feeling helpless and vulnerable. And he made her feel like that. He took advantage of her kindness and it didn't end so well.   
  


⠀⠀The girls and boys began to split apart as the girls headed to one staircase and the boys to the other up to their dormitories. While everyone was bidding each other good night, Laurel was far too busy in her own thoughts, heading straight for the girls' dormitory staircase. Callen kissed Evan good night and headed upstairs quickly after Dominique, who had chased after Laurel, confused at her sudden change in behavior. Laurel was about to walk up the stairs when James put a hand on her arm, pulling her back.   
  


⠀⠀"Yes?" she asked, putting on a forced smile for James. She did not fail to notice Dominique staring, who had quickly given up and ran upstairs with Callen.   
⠀⠀"Erm...meet me down here at ten-forty tonight," James said quietly, pushing his rectangular glasses back up on his nose.   
⠀⠀"Why?" Laurel asked, slightly confused but amused all the while.   
⠀⠀"It's a surprise," James said, smirking a little. Then he quickly headed upstairs to his dormitory, just so that Laurel couldn't question him any further. 

⠀⠀Laurel stood there for a few more seconds, contemplating James' request. Then she shrugged, heading upstairs as she thought one thing. It was a surprise. What harm could it bring her?

⠀⠀She got upstairs, feeling a little happier than before. She was excited as to what James had planned for their little meeting at ten-forty. Pushing Liam out of her mind, she changed into her sleepwear and headed to bed, but didn't sleep.

⠀⠀Instead, she laid down on her pillow and stared at her clock tick away at the seconds until it was ten-forty.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**TEN-FORTY FINALLY ROLLED** in, Laurel getting off her bed quietly, pulling a hoodie over her. All the other girls were asleep, thus Laurel attempted to tip-toe out of her dorm. And that doesn't work when the floorboards of the room are at least a thousand years old.

⠀⠀She finally made her way out of the dorm, shutting the door quietly behind her. She walked down the stairs quickly, poking her head out of the entrance of the stairs. She saw a familiar dark figure in the darkness, who sat on one of the chairs set up on the side of the common room.

⠀⠀"Potter?" she called out quietly into the darkness, stepping quietly into the common room.

⠀⠀The figure spun around, yet Laurel could still not see his face.

⠀⠀" _Lumos_ ," his familiar voice said, a bright light emerging from the end of his wand. Laurel squinted as her eyes began adjusting to the bright light, James quickly apologizing. He was no longer in his school robes, but instead a Holyhead Harpies t-shirt and a pair of plaid pajama pants, his glasses nowhere to be found. Maybe his vision wasn't so bad.

⠀⠀"You called me down for something?" Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"Well," James started, nervously, "er—I sort of noticed that you were kind of sad before going upstairs, so I sort of snuck out and got these." 

⠀⠀He picked up two cups from the table near the chair he was sitting on before, showing it to Laurel.

⠀⠀"Chocolate pudding?" she asked incredulously, grinning as she looked up from staring at the cups.  
⠀⠀"Yeah. I thought you might like it," James said, smiling as Laurel smiled. She was so beautiful when she smiled. Her curly blonde locks seemed to fall perfectly into place and he just wanted to touch it. _No, James, she'll think you have a hair fetish or something._ Trusting his conscience, he kept his hand wrapped around the cups of chocolate pudding which Laurel was still staring at.

⠀⠀"Did you get caught?" she asked, chuckling as she took one.   
⠀⠀"Fortunately, no," James said, grinning as she remembered. "Lucy wasn't patrolling today, thankfully."  
⠀⠀"That's...fortunate," Laurel said. He had remembered. He remembered that she really liked chocolate pudding. They had only talked once and he remembered. And she was so grateful for it.

⠀⠀"Aren't you going to take the other one?" James asked as Laurel picked up a spoon from the table.   
⠀⠀"No, it's quite alright," Laurel said, taking a seat on the table. "You can have it."

⠀⠀James then realized how much he really liked this girl. Her kindness was inexplicable and beautiful. She didn't have to be kind, but she was. And in the back of his mind, he knew how much kindness could be taken advantage of. 

⠀⠀He sat next to her, nodding as he took the remaining spoon and eating the chocolate pudding next to her. He looked at her as she ate her pudding happily; he had never seen anyone look so happy to eat chocolate pudding in his entire 16-year lifetime. Smiling when she wasn't noticing, he looked back down at his own pudding, quite proud of himself.

⠀⠀"You promise not to tell anyone about this?" James asked suddenly. "Dom would never let me go if you told her."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed as quietly as she could. "I promise."

⠀⠀And so it was. A blonde haired girl and a four-eyed boy sat on a table in the Gryffindor common room, eating pudding and finding peace in each other's company.


	3. PLATONIC

**THE NEXT FEW DAYS** went by quite quickly, the weekend rolling in hastily. And the weekend meant two things at Hogwarts: Quidditch and Hogsmeade. 

⠀⠀Evan was named Quidditch captain by Fred Weasley II (who had graduated) last year, and Oliver Wood couldn't have been more proud of his son. The Gryffindor team Quidditch tryouts were this weekend and James had to tryout for his position again (Evan had to be fair). After Ginny Potter found out about his dropping grades in Herbology (Professor Longbottom may have just accidentally leaked it out a little bit to his red-headed best friend), she banned him from playing Quidditch for the rest of the season. Thus, much to their dismay, Slytherin had won the Quidditch Cup last year.

⠀⠀"Quidditch tryouts are this afternoon," Callen told Dominique and Laurel as they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast.   
⠀⠀"We know," Dominique said, rolling her eyes. "That's the last thing you told us before going to sleep last night."  
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "Why are you so worried about it?" she asked. "Evan's already on the team."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, well, he knows _so_ many people and _so_ many people want to try out and if he tells them they're not good enough, he's afraid that they'll hold it against him," Callen rambled, her eyebrows knitted together in worry.   
⠀⠀"He'll be fine," Dominique said yawning, shrugging it off. " _Trust_ me. Evan will be fine. People will be fine with it after a few weeks."  
⠀⠀"You think your cousin will make it onto the team?" Laurel asked as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, which was half filled with first years. Laurel supposed that the three of them were early. Callen and Laurel took the same side of the table, while Dominique took the other side.  
⠀⠀"Yeah," Dominique said. "He's really good. He's got Uncle Harry's genes and Aunt Ginny's genes so it'll be all good. Aunt Gin— _oh my Merlin_ , Callen. Don't worry about it."

⠀⠀Laurel turned to her friend, who was currently biting on her nails nervously. The blonde chuckled, reaching over to pull Called's hand away from her mouth. 

⠀⠀"We'll go to Hogsmeade for a bit and then we'll be back for the tryouts. Loosen up a bit," Laurel said reassuringly. "He'll be fine."

⠀⠀Callen let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as Dominique headed straight for the cereal. Just then, Laurel spotted three boys heading towards their direction, quickly spotting a familiar four-eyed boy who she was slowly growing closer to. There was something about James Potter that drew her towards him, but she couldn't quite figure it out yet.   
  


⠀⠀Ever since the whole chocolate pudding thing at ten-forty at night, Laurel couldn't quite look at James Sirius Potter the same way. Now he was more than just Harry Potter's eldest child. He was chocolate pudding boy. She would've called him that out loud if it wasn't for the secret that he made her promise to keep.

⠀⠀"Good morning," James greeted cheerily, his hands in his jeans pockets and his jacket hanging slightly off his body. His hair was a mess, and his glasses were slightly tilted off his nose. He took a seat next to Laurel, who was too busy spreading butter across her toast to notice him, while Evan sat next to Callen, and Asher across from the four of them, placing himself awkwardly next to Dominique. She was half asleep, as she spent her Friday night staying up late and catching up on some Muggle TV show called _Doctor Who_ that Rose had introduced her to. She had been babbling about Amy Pond and Rory Williams the whole way to breakfast.   
  


⠀⠀"Good morning," Laurel greeted, turning to him to acknowledge him. There it was again. Her bright blue eyes hit him again and he had to blink a few times to lull himself back to reality. Laurel didn't notice as she turned back to her toast, placing her butter knife down and taking a bite with satisfaction.

⠀⠀"Ready for Quidditch?" Dominique asked after making herself wake up.   
⠀⠀"Are you really asking that question?" James asked, cocking an eyebrow at his sleepy cousin.   
⠀⠀"Just answer the question, Potter," Laurel said, chuckling and shaking his head.

⠀⠀James turned to the girl, his expression amused. After the whole pudding thing, he found it a lot easier to talk to Laurel, no longer tripping over his words.

⠀⠀"After all of _that_ , you're referring to me through my last name?" James asked jokingly, a small smirk appearing on his face.   
⠀⠀"After all of what?" Asher asked, confused. He seemed to be speaking for everyone else, looking between the two.   
⠀⠀"Nothing," Laurel waved it away and was about to respond to James' question when two hands landed on her shoulders. She jerked her head around and found her brothers, Lysander and Lorcan, standing there, a sardonic smile on both their faces.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀Lysander and Lorcan were exactly alike and very similar in facial features to Laurel. They had blond hair that was tied into a short ponytail on the back of their heads, a few fly away hairs falling out. While Laurel had curly hair like their mother, the twins had straight hair like their father. They were both a head taller than Laurel, which she hated immensely. They always belittled her for being the younger one and the shorter one and it was annoying. But she loved them anyway.

⠀⠀Lorcan was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, while Lysander was lazy and played no sports. How he kept himself in shape was another story. He preferred to stay in the library with some books and resorted to writing stories instead of playing Quidditch. Lorcan, however, was never seen without his broomstick or something related to Quidditch in hand. The three always joked that Lysander kept himself fit by climbing the massive library shelves to find books and put them away.   
  


⠀⠀"Good morning, _sister_ ," Lysander said, a slightly sardonic smile on his face.

⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes, turning back around to face her friends, plucking Lysander's hand off her shoulder.

⠀⠀"You only call me ' _sister_ ' when you want me to buy something for you," Laurel huffed, pulling out her hand. "Give me the money and I'll buy it."  
⠀⠀"Well, aren't you _lovely_ ," Lysander said, grinning. Lorcan pulled out a bag of change and placed it in Laurel's hand.   
⠀⠀"Save the sugar-coated requests. There's a list inside with everything," Lorcan stated simply. "Thank you."  
⠀⠀"And if you didn't give me enough money—"  
⠀⠀"We promise to pay you back," Lorcan said quickly as he stiffened at the reminder.   
⠀⠀"You both owe me five Galleons _each_ ," Laurel said haughtily. "And they're _long_ overdue."  
⠀⠀"Okay, _fine_ ," Lysander huffed, rolling his eyes. "We'll pay you back next week, Little Leaf."  
⠀⠀"You'd better," Laurel said as the twins started heading off. "Or I will ruin your stories and your Quidditch game!"

⠀⠀Lysander and Lorcan waved it off as they headed to the Ravenclaw table, where their friends sat (which included students from all four houses). Liam Anderson coincidentally walked their way, immediately cowering as they approached. Lorcan and Lysander shouldered him on both shoulders and Liam winced, while Laurel looked on and tried not to laugh. Callen and Dominique had also been looking on, both sniggering loudly at what had just happened. James, Evan, and Asher, on the other hand, were confused as to why the girls were sniggering. But they didn't question it. 

⠀⠀Liam walked by the six Gryffindors swiftly, not daring to look at them, heading to the Slytherin table to his friends, who were throwing glares their way. Dominique resulted to rolling her eyes as Laurel finished up her breakfast, waiting for her friends to hurry up so they could go to Hogsmeade, oblivious to Liam's friend group.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀"Are you guys done?" Dominique asked impatiently, speaking Laurel's mind. "I have things to do and we need to get back in time for the Quidditch tryouts if we're taking you boys with us."  
⠀⠀"Okay, okay, we're done," James said, waving his hands around in surrender as the rest of the wiped their mouths and stood up to leave. They all began shuffling out of the Great Hall to the exit where everyone else was leaving to go to Hogsmeade.   
  
  


⠀⠀The air was chilly as autumn was coming in, the brightly colored leaves falling off of their branches and onto the ground. The wind blew through Laurel's blonde curls as they entered the busy streets of Hogsmeade, heading straight to where they usually went: the Three Broomsticks.

⠀⠀They all quickly ordered a bottle of butterbeer to go, whereas Laurel ordered a bottle of gillywater, her favorite. Laurel didn't mind butterbeer, but if there was gillywater, she'd take it.

⠀⠀Once their drinks arrived, they paid and left the inn, walking around Hogsmeade.

⠀⠀"Callen and I are going to go," Evan said, reaching for his girlfriend's hand. "Date today."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah," Dominique said, rolling her eyes as the pair began to veer off from the rest of the group. "Don't let me catch you snogging against a tree or something."

⠀⠀Callen laughed as Evan whisked her away to some unknown location. Laurel grinned as she saw the two. Merlin, she... _shipped_ it. 

⠀⠀"Dom, are you sure you want to come with me to shop for my brothers' things?" Laurel asked skeptically, pulling out the slip of paper in the bag full of Galleons. "It's a really long list here."  
⠀⠀"The last time we did that I almost had a fit because you were so slow," Dominique said. "I'm sticking with doing my own thing."  
⠀⠀"Like?" Laurel asked, chuckling at her friend's complaint.

⠀⠀Dominique thought about it for a moment and then turned to Asher. "Have you ever been to the Shrieking Shack, Arlington?"  
⠀⠀"No, but—"  
⠀⠀"You've _never_ been? What kind of Gryffindor are you?" Dominique asked feigning surprise, grabbing his arm. "That's it, we're going right now. James, are you coming?"  
⠀⠀"Nah, I'll stay. Shopping sounds fun," James said, smirking at Asher, who was silently begging James to come along. "Have fun, Ash!"

⠀⠀Asher had uttered a string of unclean words at James as he laughed. Dominique waved goodbye at her cousin and blonde haired friend, dragging Asher away from them. Laurel laughed along with James, taking a sip of her gillywater.

⠀⠀"So, where to?" James asked happily.

⠀⠀Laurel scanned down the list and then back up at the stores, stopping in front of one. " _Koler's Apothecary_. Lorcan needs, er...unicorn hairs and some other things for some reason."

⠀⠀They walked into the shop, walking around for the item.

⠀⠀"Why are your brothers' making you go shopping instead of going themselves?" James asked.   
⠀⠀"Last year they were making too many potions in the already flooded boys' bathroom and they accidentally made all the toilets explode after dumping out the failed potion, so McGonagall banned them from going to Hogsmeade, thus they can't get their supplies," Laurel explained casually, as if she had told that story multiple times before. "But obviously, they found a way to get their supplies. Also, I apparently have an eye for choosing the best ingredients while the twins are terrible at it, so they make me do it."  
⠀⠀James chuckled. "What kind of potions were they making?"  
⠀⠀"Oh, all sorts," Laurel replied, her eyes on a bottle of unicorn hairs. "Housekeeping potions, transformation potions, healing potions, etcetera. Mum was pretty mad and she rarely gets mad."  
⠀⠀"Sort of like you," James said as they continued to walk to around the apothecary for the other things listed.   
⠀⠀"I suppose," Laurel said, shrugging as she found another thing on the list. "Getting angry isn't healthy."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, I know," James said. "I don't like getting angry either."  
⠀⠀"It's not like you can help it half the time," Laurel concluded. "People don't choose to be angry. There are instigators that get them angry."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, like the time Lily almost broke my broomstick when I was five," James rolled his eyes at the memory. "I was so angry. Mum was able to calm me down though."  
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "You must've really loved Quidditch as much as you do now."  
⠀⠀"I came out of the womb with a passion for Quidditch. It's obvious that I would've loved it at five years old too," James said, causing Laurel to laugh.   
⠀⠀"Well, your mother did play for the Holyhead Harpies and your father was the youngest person to become a Seeker on the Gryffindor team in — what was it? — a century? — so you should be a natural," Laurel deduced, turning to him.   
⠀⠀"And then there's my brother, Albus, who's not that great at Quidditch," James said, shrugging. "But at least he's excelling in Herbology unlike me."  
⠀⠀"If you need help with that you can always ask me," Laurel said, walking to the cashier, who eyed James with awe. James paid it no mind as he was used to that kind of treatment, being the Chosen One's son and all.   
⠀⠀"Yeah. I'll come around. I hate that new policy where you can't be on a team if you don't have at least an Acceptable in all of your classes," James complained.   
⠀⠀"Well, it keeps you motivated," Laurel said, shrugging as she paid for the requested ingredients, placing each bottle carefully inside her bag. They left the apothecary and headed to Tomes and Scrolls, this time for books.  
⠀⠀"Well, I'm terrible at memorizing names of plants that won't even help me anymore," James said indignantly. "I don't know why they gave me Herbology when my career choice is to be an Auror."  
⠀⠀"Maybe so you know which plants will kill and which won't while being on certain cases?" Laurel guessed as she scanned down the list of books. Lysander and Lorcan were spending all their money on potions books, as they wanted to start a potions business. Luna and Rolf had been full supporters of innovation as long as they didn't act up in school and didn't get themselves killed, but the twins had other plans. 

⠀⠀James was impressed at Laurel's intellect, tapping his chin as her thought settled on him. "You're right. I actually haven't thought of that."  
⠀⠀"Well then you'd better get memorizing," Laurel said, pulling out the books from the shelves. "Tell me when you want to start."  
⠀⠀"How about in a week's time?" James suggested, although he wasn't keen on the idea of tutoring. Maybe he could give Laurel a shot.   
⠀⠀"Alright," Laurel confirmed, heading to the front of the store to purchase the books. "You need to teach me how to fly a broomstick."  
⠀⠀"Your brothers haven't taught you?" James asked incredulously as they left the store with the books.   
⠀⠀"They used to give me faulty broomsticks when I was younger so I started to dislike flying," Laurel explained, rolling her eyes. "But I kind of want to fly again."  
⠀⠀"When do you want to start?" James asked, chuckling.   
⠀⠀"When are you free?" Laurel asked, entering Spintwitches. Lorcan needed a new pair of gloves for Quidditch.   
⠀⠀"The same as you," James said, noticing that they had walked into his favorite store in all of Hogsmeade. "I'm free after lunch."  
⠀⠀"Okay," Laurel responded.   
⠀⠀"Why are we in here?" James asked, confused. Laurel never went into a Quidditch shop at her own accord.   
⠀⠀"Lorcan needs a new pair of gloves," Laurel said simply. "After we're done, I might go to Gladrags. They have these socks that scream once they get too smelly." She grinned at the thought of the socks and James couldn't help but chuckle. Whether he admitted to it or not, he liked this girl so much.  
⠀⠀"Maybe you should get me a pair of those socks," James said as Laurel looked at Lysander's intricate drawing of the pair of gloves that he wanted.   
⠀⠀"No," Laurel shot at him. "You're paying for your own things. I'm not buying anything for you unless it's your birthday."  
⠀⠀"Well, aren't you lucky that my birthday is in two weeks," James said smugly as Laurel whipped her head around in disbelief, dropping the pair of gloves she had in her hand as he stuck his hands in his pockets.   
⠀⠀"You're bluffing," Laurel said, asking her head as she gathered herself together and picked up the gloves she had dropped, continuing her walk down the aisle filled with Quidditch supplies.   
⠀⠀"No, I'm _not_ ," James insisted, following her closely. "I wouldn't _lie_ about my bloody birthday."  
⠀⠀" _Fine_ ," Laurel said, rolling her eyes. "And stop with the cursing, will you?"  
⠀⠀James rolled his eyes. "No. You're not the boss of me."

⠀⠀Laurel shook her head as she walked to the counter to pay for the gloves. "Then you won't get the socks. I can't believe you actually want them."  
⠀⠀"Why? Because I'm a realist?" James asked.   
⠀⠀"No," Laurel countered, chuckling as she paid for the gloves and left. "How much more _real_ can a pair of screaming socks get?"  
⠀⠀James laughed. "To Muggles it's not really... _real_."  
⠀⠀"Has your grandpa ever figured out the function of a rubber duck?" Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"No—wait, hold on, how do you know about that?" James asked, pausing in his tracks.   
⠀⠀"Dom told me," Laurel said, pausing with him.   
⠀⠀"Ah," James said, beginning to walk again. "No, he's still trying to figure that out."  
⠀⠀"Which means we're not so different from Muggles," Laurel said, shrugging. "I can't believe some magic folk still think that Muggle-borns and Muggles are inferior. Your aunt has such a high position in the Ministry and they still have the nerve to say that."  
⠀⠀"There will always be people like that and if we don't raise the children right, they won't grow up to be acepting," James said, shrugging. "People always find something to hate out of nothing."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, I know," Laurel sighed. Then her eyes bugged out when she saw the last thing on her brothers' list. "They need _another_ cauldron?"

⠀⠀James poked his head over her shoulder, seeing the thing she was getting increasingly annoyed at. He chuckled as she stomped her way to the cauldron shop, quickly lugging over the cauldron the twins' had specified. She paid for it and left the shop abruptly, taking a sigh of relief.

⠀⠀"Are we done yet?" James asked.   
⠀⠀"Yes," Laurel replied, sighing with relief. "Now we can go to—"  
⠀⠀"Laurel!" someone called from afar, breaking Laurel off from her sentence.   
⠀⠀Both James and Laurel's heads snapped towards the direction of he voice, finding a tall male figure running towards them. Laurel immediately shrunk slightly behind James as she recognized his face.

⠀⠀"Can we help you, Anderson?" James asked nonchalantly, Laurel seeming to put herself on guard. Why was he talking to her?  
⠀⠀"More like Laurel can," Liam said, looking from James to the blonde next to him. "Where are your brothers?"  
⠀⠀"That's none of your business," Laurel said quickly, beginning to walk away from the boy. James looked between Liam and Laurel but followed Laurel anyway. Liam chased after them and the blonde resulted to walking faster. There was a hot rage boiling up inside her. Why was he here and why did he want her brothers?  
⠀⠀"Just tell me where they are," Liam pressed, jumping in front of her.   
⠀⠀"Why do you want them?" James asked as Laurel veered away from Liam again, making sure to stand ten feet away from him.   
⠀⠀"They shoved me earlier and I want to duel them," Liam stated indignantly.   
⠀⠀"Well, they're not here," Laurel said bluntly, crossing her arms.   
⠀⠀Liam narrowed his eyes. "You're lying."  
⠀⠀" _No_ , I'm _not_ ," Laurel persisted, turning away from him. "I don't want to talk to you, Anderson."  
⠀⠀" _Oh_. So now we're on last-name basis?" Liam asked. "After all of _that_?"

⠀⠀Laurel turned away, continuing her walk to Gladrags. All she wanted was to have a good Hogsmeade trip with no one hindering her whatsoever, but here this pathetic boy was, asking where her brothers were.

⠀⠀James followed close behind the girl, casting a wary glance at Liam, who was still following them diligently. He watched Laurel's hand curl up into a fist, clenching her knuckles until they were white. He had never seen her angry before.

⠀⠀"See, this is why I broke up with you. You switch personalities too quickly and your brothers fucking hated me for some stupid reason," Liam ranted, pausing before beginning again, getting louder and louder. "This doesn't even have to do with you! It's your—"  
⠀⠀"It has all to do with me!" Laurel snapped, whipping around at Liam. "They're _my_ brothers and _I_ am not about to endanger them! You think my apparent ' _duo_ ' personalities are a problem? Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself why you're so petty as to strike up a duel with my brothers for just _shoving_ you!"  
⠀⠀"I'm standing up for my—"  
⠀⠀" _Oh_ , but you'd lose," Laurel cut in coldly, grasping the wand in her pocket. She wanted to hex him so badly, but she refrained from doing so, since they were on the main streets. James was getting increasingly annoyed at Liam. Laurel was rejecting his advances and he wasn't leaving her alone.

⠀⠀"I really lo—"  
⠀⠀"Don't you dare bring up our relationship," Laurel snapped, a ferocity in her blue eyes and voice that shocked James. "Don't you ever dare. If you don't leave me alone right now, I _will_ hex you."

⠀⠀Liam didn't respond, standing there stubbornly.

⠀⠀"She said leave," James said exasperatedly. "You know what?" He grabbed Laurel's hand which sent tingles down his spine; but he ignored it. " _We're_ leaving."  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel glared at Liam as she let James pull her away, heading into Gladrags. When they got in, he was still holding onto her hand unknowingly, as if he was afraid to let her go.   
  
  


⠀⠀"James," Laurel said calmly, staring at how comfortable he seemed with their hands entwined, "you can let go now."  
⠀⠀"Oh!—fuck. Sorry," James said quickly, immediately releasing Laurel's hand. She chuckled quietly, her smile short-lived. She didn't understand why Liam was so keen on finding her brothers. It was Liam who had brought this upon himself after all. He was the one who broke her heart. He was the one who made the twins hate him. 

⠀⠀"Do you still want those singing—I mean, screaming socks?" James asked as they remained standing by the front door, trying to look inconspicuous. But that didn't work as they began receiving looks as to why the two of them were just standing at the front door, one lost in her thoughts, the other rather confused and slightly flustered.

⠀⠀Laurel sighed, looking down at her shoes and then back at James. "I don't really know, James."  
⠀⠀"It's okay," James said reassuringly as he shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We can just go eat ice cream in the ice cream parlor down there."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled, beginning to walk out the door. James grinned, proud at himself for making the girl smile. He followed after her, who was waiting for him patiently. James led her to the ice cream parlor, which was called Maddie's Ice Cream. James told her that during the warmer months, they sold ice cream and during the colder months, they sold special butterbeers, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages.   
  


⠀⠀They walked in and Laurel looked at all the different choices, trying to find the one that she liked. She finally settled on green tea, with toppings that sang Christmas songs and multicolored sprinkles. James got his favorite, butterbeer, and settled on having no toppings. He paid for both (despite Laurel's protests and the cashier laughing inwardly as she assumed they were dating), and they left the parlor heading to the end of Hogsmeade, which held benches for people to sit on while enjoying the grassland that surrounded the village. 

⠀⠀They both sat down, staring at the Shrieking Shack that stood as a tiny speck in the distance. 

⠀⠀"Are you alright?" James asked after awhile.   
⠀⠀"I'm just a little... _perturbed_ by his sudden appearance, but I'll be alright," Laurel answered after thinking about it. "Thank you, by the way."  
⠀⠀"For what?" James asked, his spoon in his mouth.   
⠀⠀"Taking me away from him," Laurel said simply, "and the ice cream." She waved the ice cream at him.   
⠀⠀James chuckled. "No problem. I'm glad you like it."  
⠀⠀"Yeah, I haven't eaten ice cream in awhile," Laurel said, happily enjoying her singing Christmas toppings. "And green tea is my favorite."  
⠀⠀"Butterbeer is mine," James said, scooping up the last of his ice cream with his spoon.   
⠀⠀"You really love butterbeer, don't you?" Laurel asked, looking at him.   
⠀⠀"Yeah," he said, not looking at her as he stared at the Shrieking Shack. "You think Dom and Asher are still there?"  
⠀⠀"No," Laurel said, shaking her head. "Either Dom dragged him in and they stayed in there for about ten minutes before he chickened out or he completely refused and they're going on a date."  
⠀⠀"A date? You mean a date like in that tea shop?" James asked, turning to Laurel who was staring at the Shrieking Shack. She laughed cheerily, causing him to smile.   
⠀⠀"Dom isn't _that_ cliché," Laurel concluded. "Funny how we passed by that tea shop and went for the ice cream across the street instead."  
⠀⠀James chuckled. "That's because we're not actually going on a date."  
⠀⠀"This is a date," Laurel said with ease. "But a friendly date."  
⠀⠀James froze for a second, which he then let go of. She didn't mean what he wanted it to mean, of course. "A platonic date?"  
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, smiling and shrugging, "platonic."

⠀⠀James forced a smile, feeling his heart sink a little as she said those words. He wanted to be more than just platonic. But he knew that she may not reciprocate those feelings.

⠀⠀To him, she was a mystery that he was ready to solve. He didn't know how long it would take, but he was determined to do so. 

⠀⠀He loved this girl enough to take her on a platonic date of ice cream and sharing a bench at the end of Hogsmeade. He loved this girl enough to have his heart sink to his stomach at the mere word of platonic that came out of her perfect lips, enough to force a smile for her. He loved this girl enough to ruin his relationship with her ex, whom he had been on good terms with before. He loved this girl enough to take her hand and not know that he was still holding onto it, letting go despite his desire to keep it in his.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀His love for her was bursting at the seams and she didn't even notice.


	4. ARRESTO MOMENTUM

**LAUREL SAT DOWN** on one of the front benches in the Quidditch stadium, watching multiple red-robed and green-robed boys and girls on broomsticks zoom around, some quickly and others a bit slower. Some were just levitating on their brooms, looking around the stadium. Ravenclaw was having their tryouts too, since it had rained hard on their tryout day, so Evan agreed to share the pitch with them. He got along well with their captain thankfully (much more than Fred II had). 

  
⠀⠀Even though she wanted to be alone to draw, Dominique and Callen dragged her with them and insisted her coming, so she obliged. Maybe something entertaining would happen in the tryouts. Like Liam falling off his broom, for example, she thought as she caught sight of him in front of the goalposts. Though it wouldn't be a pretty sight, Laurel really did want James or someone to accidentally push Liam off his broom. 

⠀⠀While Callen was too busy talking to Evan on the side, Dominique and Laurel looked up, staring at the people trying out hovering around. Laurel caught sight of James as he seemed to be flying towards Laurel and Dominique. 

⠀⠀James stopped along the edge of the Quidditch stadium in front of the bleachers, where Laurel and Dominique sat. Laurel desperately wanted to tell him to push Liam off his broom, but she refrained from doing so.

⠀⠀"Finally on your broom now, aren't you?" Dominique asked, smiling as she got up and leant on the edge of the wooden stands, where James was on the other side. Laurel followed suit and James couldn't help but stare at her.   
⠀⠀"Yeah," James said, chuckling, looking back at his cousin from Laurel. "Haven't been up here in awhile."  
⠀⠀"You think you can push Liam off of his broomstick for me?" Dominique asked, jerking her chin towards the boy who seemed to be struggling to stay up on his broom. Laurel chuckled inwardly as Dominique seemed to have read her mind.

⠀⠀James chuckled and turned to Laurel purposefully. "We're already on bad terms as it is, aren't we, Laurel?"  
⠀⠀"Oh — er, yeah," Laurel said, looking up from her white sneakers, which she suddenly found interesting from the green coral lichen stuck on it. James turned back to his red headed cousin and Laurel turned back to her shoes. Coral lichen never failed to interest her.

⠀⠀"What do you mean? Anderson and you were alright last year," Dominique questioned after casting a puzzled look between the two.   
⠀⠀"I need to be off, but Laurel can tell you all about that," James said, smirking before zooming away, Dominique grumbling. Laurel would tell her bits of the story but then go off into an explanation about something else.   
⠀⠀"Laurel," Dominique asked, Laurel looking up from her sneakers again, plopping down on one of the bleachers, peeling the lichen off, "what happened at Hogsmeade?"  
⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Laurel asked genuinely, her mind off in the depths of the information she had read on coral lichen. Dominique sighed and waved Callen over, who came over immediately as she caught sight of Dominique's blazing look, kissing Evan good luck on the cheek and then walking over. 

⠀⠀"What seems to be the matter?" Callen asked Dominique.   
⠀⠀"Well, Laurel's supposed to tell us what happened between Anderson and James at Hogsmeade just earlier," Dominique told her friend. "But all of a sudden, she's interested in a leaf."  
⠀⠀"Lichen," Laurel corrected Dominique, "coral lichen."  
⠀⠀"Whatever," Dominique huffed. "Just tell us the story."  
⠀⠀"About what?" Laurel asked, placing the lichen carefully in her pocket and giving her two friends her undivided attention. Well, her attention was never really 'undivided'.

⠀⠀"About what happened at Hogsmeade between James, you, and Anderson," Callen said calmly. Dominique wouldn't have been able to pull that off so easily.   
⠀⠀"Oh," Laurel said, glancing away from her friends, pulling out the piece of beareded lichen. She began fiddling with it nervously. Her friends knew that talking about Liam was a touchy subject, but Laurel knew she would have to tell them about what happened eventually.   
⠀⠀"Well...," she began, "Liam just came to me and asked for Lorcan and Lysander while James was with me and...well, let's just say it didn't end so well."  
⠀⠀"Go on," Callen said after exchanging a look with Dominique.   
⠀⠀"I told him that they weren't here and he accused me of lying and went on and on about our relationship and why he broke up with me and what not. I told him to go away but he didn't. Then, I suppose James got angry and told him to go away, but then he wouldn't leave so James just grabbed my hand and we left and got ice cream," Laurel explained, smiling at the last part. Eating ice cream in the morning was weird, but hey, at least it tasted good. 

⠀⠀Callen and Dominique sat there, baffled at the story their blonde friend had just told them.

⠀⠀"Hold on—he grabbed your hand?" Dominique asked incredulously. James and Dominique rarely dwelled on the subject of crushes, but the redhead could've sworn he did say something about Laurel once. But she wasn't sure.   
⠀⠀"Yes," Laurel said simply. Then she laughed lightly. "Then he forgot to let go a little later."

⠀⠀Callen and Dominique exchanged another look, Callen shrugging after, Dominique shrugging with her. Laurel was still intrigued by the lichen she had in between her fingers, not noticing her friends' nonverbal communication.

⠀⠀"So because of that, Anderson and James hate each other," Callen stated.   
⠀⠀"Yeah, pretty much," Laurel said, placing the lichen in her pocket, looking up towards the sky at the fliers who were now zooming around with Quaffles in their hands, whilst dodging Bludgers. "Other than that, I just found out his birthday is in two weeks."  
⠀⠀Dominique snorted. "Laurel, it's actually in November. The 20th of November."  
⠀⠀Laurel's eyes grew in shock. "I knew he lied to me!" she exclaimed, getting up and shaking her fist in his direction. "Damn you, James Potter!" He turned his head, confused at the gesture as Callen and Dominique forced her to sit back down, trying not to laugh at their blonde friend.   
⠀⠀"He just wanted that pair of screaming socks, that's all," Laurel grumbled haughtily, tossing the lichen away. "And he didn't want to pay for it."  
⠀⠀"James does that a lot," Dominique said, throwing an amused look Callen's way, who was covering her mouth while trembling from hidden laughter. "Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny just don't let him spend that much money. Aunt Ginny especially."  
⠀⠀"Well, I would've bought it for him if he hadn't lied to me," Laurel huffed, crossing her arms. "Now his chances are lower."  
⠀⠀"Oh, come off it, Laurel," Callen said soothingly, "it's not such a big deal."  
⠀⠀"Fine," Laurel said. "I just don't like it when people lie to me."  
⠀⠀"Yes, we know," Callen said, chuckling at Laurel's childish demeanor.   
⠀⠀"We'll punch him later for you," Dominique said. Callen casted her a look, shaking her head. "I mean, well, I'll punch him later for you. Since Callen's not into violence."  
⠀⠀Laurel smiled, chuckling quietly as she glanced up at the people flying around. "No need. I'll just ignore him."  
⠀⠀"He seems to take a bit of interest in you," Callen said thoughtfully.   
⠀⠀"He does?" Laurel asked, turning away from the sky and to her friend, who was staring at Evan swooping around the goal posts. "I've never noticed."  
⠀⠀"I'm not surprised," Callen said, shrugging. Dominique was strangely quiet as she stared at Laurel and then back to James, who was busy snatching the Quaffle away from Liam. Was James...? Nah, he couldn't be. Of all girls, would he crush on Laurel?  
⠀⠀"Nah," Dominique said, chuckling, "it's just that our lovely Laurel is very interesting with her constant chatter about...coral lichen."  
⠀⠀Laurel smiled. "The only people who are ever interested in my chatter about lichen or anything is you two."  
⠀⠀"You manage to make it more interesting than Professor Longbottom, that's why," Dominique said, laughing as all three of them turned to the professor who wasn't siting too far off from them, watching his House's Quidditch tryouts. Being the head of the house, he had to. Or at least, that's what McGonagall had told him to do.

  
⠀⠀A boy who looked very similar to James walked over, sitting down next to Dominique. He had a pair of emerald green eyes, the same tousle of black hair that James had, and a skinny frame. He didn't wear glasses like James and had a few freckles dotting along his face.

⠀⠀"Hi, Al," Dominique said, waving at her cousin. "What are you doing at the tryouts?"  
⠀⠀"Seeing if I can help Slytherin win the Quidditch Cup," Albus said, almost prideful at his house as his fingers flew up to his silver and green tie. "I'm seeing how both teams play."  
⠀⠀"Al, you don't even like Quidditch that much," Dominique said calmly, raising her eyebrows at her cousin as he continued to watch his brother swoop around.  
⠀⠀"Well, Scorpius is my best friend so—"  
⠀⠀"I'm still not allowing this," Dominique said, grabbing Albus by the arm. Dominique still towered over the boy and Laurel noticed that Albus still hadn't had his growth spurt yet, nor was his voice significantly deep (he was already fourteen). His face, however, did show signs of adolescence, a few pimples scattered across his forehead. Not that it wasn't normal.

⠀⠀Albus tried to yank his scrawny arm away from his cousin's grip, but Dominique was a fighter and did not put up with him, dragging him out of the Quidditch pitch. Laurel and Callen were still looking on as Albus finally yanked his arm free from Dominique, walking haughtily away as she came back, a triumphant smirk plastered on her fair face.

⠀⠀"Got that little brat away," Dominique said, falling back down on the bench, spreading her long legs into the bench in front of her, sticking her hands in her sweater pockets.   
⠀⠀"Dom, you treat him like he's ten," Callen said, chuckling. "He's fourteen."  
⠀⠀"He acts like he's ten, trust me," Dominique said, rolling her eyes. "I've pretty much spent summer with the Potters my entire life. The Burrow seems to grow magically bigger whenever all of us cousins are over."  
⠀⠀"I can imagine how the house must be exploding," Callen commented, grinning.   
⠀⠀"The house is held up by magic, is it not?" Laurel said thoughtfully. Dominique nodded. "So shouldn't it be able to grow a little bigger for all of you cousins?"  
⠀⠀"I mean, yeah. Grandpa and Grandma must have some magic tricks up their sleeves," Dominique said, bending over to re-tie her shoelaces. "Maybe there's that Undetectable Extension Charm."  
⠀⠀"Capacious Extremis," Laurel mused.   
⠀⠀"Yeah, that," Dominique said. "You think Flitwick would ever teach us that?"  
⠀⠀"Probably not this year," Callen said, shrugging. "I think it's too hard for us."  
⠀⠀"You're probably right. My Aunt Hermione didn't actually use it until she was seventeen or so," Dominique concluded. "But that's because she's just really smart."  
⠀⠀"Like Callen," Laurel said, poking her dark haired friend in the ribs gently, who shoved her away playfully, as she was ticklish.   
⠀⠀"I'm not that smart," Callen said humbly. "It's probably because I'm—"  
⠀⠀"Asian?" Dominique and Laurel cut her off and Callen looked defeated.   
⠀⠀"Come on, Callen," Dominique said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure it's more than your ethnicity."  
⠀⠀"You're probably right," Callen huffed, shrugging. "Intelligence can come from anyone really. No matter the gender, age, sexuality, or ethnicity."  
⠀⠀"Society doesn't think so though," Dominique sighed.   
⠀⠀"How about we not talk about the stupidity of society and instead how Albus is coming back here, but with a friend?" Laurel said, pointing to the left of her, where Dominique was sitting, staring at Albus who had a pale blond haired boy behind him.

⠀⠀"Oh Merlin, he brought Malfoy," Dominique groaned. "Looks like I'll have to drag them both out by their ears."  
⠀⠀"Dom, it's not against the law to have Slytherins watch tryouts," Laurel said, chuckling as her long-legged got up from her seat.   
⠀⠀"Not in my book, my dearest Laurel," Dominique said, striding confidently towards the two boys who seemed to be strutting towards the redhead.

⠀⠀Laurel and Callen couldn't hear what Dominique was saying to them but it sure was quite something as the boys seemed interested more in her than the actual tryouts. What Laurel couldn't wrap her mind around was how Quidditch tryouts was going to help the Slytherin Quidditch team. None of the house teams had even started practice yet. As much as Laurel didn't know about Quidditch, she knew that you couldn't get much strategy from watching people try out and sometimes fail miserably.

⠀⠀Dominique came back eventually, the two boys sauntering behind her. Callen rolled her eyes, turning back to watching Evan swoop around the hoops as some people made the Quaffle in, while others didn't.

⠀⠀"Malfoy, why aren't you with Rose?" Laurel asked simply with no malicious intention behind her words. Scorpius shot a look at Albus, elbowing him, mumbling a few words in his ear.   
⠀⠀"I didn't tell anyone, Scorp," Albus said defensively. "Rose probably told Dom who told Laurel."  
⠀⠀"I didn't say anything!" Dominique said, raising her hands and shaking her head.   
⠀⠀"It was James," Laurel stated before there was anymore confusion between the group. "He told me."  
⠀⠀"Damn your brother, Al," Scorpius said under his breath, which was loud enough for all of them to hear.   
⠀⠀"He can't help it," Albus said, jumping to defend his brother. "You know him, he can never keep his mouth shut."  
⠀⠀"Besides, almost everyone knows except Uncle Ron," Dominique said dismissively.   
⠀⠀"Even her?" Scorpius said coldly, poking his chin out to point at Callen.   
⠀⠀"Even me," Callen replied with the same coldness. Callen and Scorpius always had something against each other. Maybe it was because their families didn't get along exactly. Astoria Malfoy had gotten into some dispute with Thea Li while shopping at Diagonal Alley. Other than that, back in their fourth year, Scorpius accidentally delivered the wrong potion to Callen when she was sick from Madam Pomfrey, so her perfect hair was unable to be tamed for two weeks. He laughed.

⠀⠀Laurel knew Scorpius wasn't a bad person, since he bothered to get the antidote from Madam Pomfrey after Callen threatened to hex him if he didn't, but Callen held grudges and was stubborn about them. Dominique and Laurel had tried to convince her but it never worked. Thus, when Scorpius thought he had recieved her forgiveness but really didn't, he turned quite hostile towards the girl. 

⠀⠀"So you're here to watch them play Quidditch?" Dominique said quickly, as she swiftly caught on to the oncoming argument between Callen and Scorpius.   
⠀⠀"Yeah," Albus said, catching on to his cousin's silent plan.   
⠀⠀"But what are you going to get out of it? It's just tryouts," Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"There's always something," Scorpius said, a small smirk on his face.

⠀⠀Callen leaned over to Laurel, who had rolled her eyes at Scorpius' response, whispering in her ear. "You're right. There's nothing for them to see here."

⠀⠀Dominique heard and chuckled a little, leaning over as Laurel grinned at Callen. "Maybe they want to check out the boys here. Who knows? They could be gay."  
⠀⠀"Well, Malfoy is out of the question since he's dating your cousin," Callen said resentfully.   
⠀⠀"Which leaves us to—"  
⠀⠀Dominique turned around, her long red ponytail missing Laurel's face by centimeters, "Albus!"  
⠀⠀"Yes?" he asked, turning to face them.

⠀⠀Dominique stared at her cousin for awhile and then she burst out laughing, leaving her green-eyed cousin completely confused, looking from his laughing cousin to her friends expectantly for an answer. Laurel and Callen where laughing mildly, Laurel turning to Albus.

⠀⠀"Are you gay?" Laurel blurted out, causing Dominique to laugh more, doubling over.   
⠀⠀"What?! No!" Albus exclaimed, shaking his head. "I mean—I have nothing against gay people, but...I'm not gay."  
⠀⠀Dominique finally regained her composure and looked at Albus. "Hey, Albus Dumbledore was gay, so—"  
⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin! Just because I was named after," Albus' voice dropped three octaves lower, "'two of the bravest men ever known,'" his voice returned to normal, "it doesn't mean I'm exactly like them."  
⠀⠀"Uncle Harry shoves that up your arse too much, doesn't he?" Dominique said, sympathy flowing from her voice.   
⠀⠀"Yes," Albus replied resentfully.   
⠀⠀"Don't worry about your sexuality now, Al," Dominique said, waving her cousin's attitude off. "You're only fourteen."  
⠀⠀"Well, will the fact that I have a crush on a girl shut you up?" Albus asked as if he didn't want to say that. He probably didn't want to.   
⠀⠀"You could be bisexual," Scorpius said, elbowing his friend, laughing as Albus punched him in his side playfully.   
⠀⠀"You could be bisexual too. Just because you're—" Albus stopped talking abruptly as his attention turned to what was going on in the field. Everyone followed his gaze and found out that a few boys had gotten a hold of the Beater's bat, and were now fighting. 

⠀⠀Laurel caught sight of James flying towards the situation, getting up immediately to see what was going on. James grabbed the flyer who had the bat, trying to get him to let go of it so he wouldn't swing at the other person, while Evan was pulling the other person back, trying not to fall off his broom.

⠀⠀The boy with the bat took a swing at the other boy, who she couldn't see the face of, James flying in front of him, the bat coming into contact with James' side with a sickening crack. Laurel gasped as he doubled over, letting go of his broomstick, slipping off his broom. He was plummeting down to the ground quickly, his broomstick with him. Laurel, out of reflex, yanked her wand out of her sweater pocket and pointed it to James' descending body.

⠀⠀"Arresto Momentum!" she shouted with a wave of her wand, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Before James' body was allowed to fall to the ground and snap in two, he stopped a foot above the ground and then fell softly on it, his broomstick landing on the ground hard next to him, the front part of the broomstick breaking off. Laurel, satisfied with her quick thinking but worried for him, ran down the steps to where James had fallen. Evan was already there, along with a few others, crouching over James' unconscious body.

⠀⠀"Milligan! What the bloody fuck was that for?!" Evan asked furiously, bolting up at the boy with the bat; Callen ran to her boyfriend to hold him back from smacking Milligan. The boy looked exceptionally guilty, Laurel had noticed. She knelt beside James, pulling his broken glasses off of his face. She tapped her wand on it as everyone watched.

⠀⠀"Oculus Reparo," she said, watching as the glass fixed itself and the metal straighten out again. She placed them back on his face, which was peaceful as he was unconscious. Dominique, Scorpius, and Albus were behind her now.

⠀⠀"How did you think of that charm so quickly?" Evan asked after a string of profanities had spilled from his mouth at Milligan, despite the few second-years standing off to the side who could hear everything. They winced a little but then moved on. Laurel pitied Milligan as he seemed to really want to be on the team. The tall, dark-skinned boy could really be a Beater, with his stocky build and big arms. Laurel noticed that he was quite handsome, but it wasn't her kind of handsome. 

⠀⠀"I don't know. I just remembered it," Laurel said, shrugging, her gaze returning to James.   
⠀⠀"Where's Madam Pomfrey?" Asher asked, who was standing near Evan.   
⠀⠀"Right here, Mr Arlington," a figure with a long dress appeared in front of Laurel, pushing the girl gently away as she began to wave her wand over his unconscious body. "Oh dear...."  
⠀⠀"Madam Pomfrey, is he going to be okay?" Dominique asked, worry etched across her face.   
⠀⠀"He's got a broken rib and a few broken blood vessels," Madam Ponfrey said, sighing. "It'll be awhile until he's back onto the Quidditch Pitch."  
⠀⠀"How long?" Evan asked worriedly. "He's the best Chaser we've got."  
⠀⠀"A month or two, Mr Wood," Madam Pomfrey said, getting up from her position on the ground.   
⠀⠀"A month?" Evan asked incredulously. "Quidditch season starts next week!"   
⠀⠀"Do not shout, Mr Wood. I may be old and I may be losing my hearing but that doesn't mean you can shout," Madam Ponfrey said sternly, turning a warning finger at Evan, who cowered almost immediately.   
⠀⠀"Sorry, Madam, I didn't mean to shout," Evan apologized sincerely, staring at his shoes.   
⠀⠀"You are forgiven. Now go and collect Nev—Professor Longbottom and we can get going," Madam Pomfrey ordered. Evan elbowed Milligan, who quickly ran away to find Professor Longbottom. He came back in a matter of two minutes.   
⠀⠀"Is he going to be alright?" Professor Longbottom asked as Madam Pomfrey was levitating James in the air carefully. He seemed to mumble his last few words. "How am I going to tell this to Ginny?"  
⠀⠀"Yes, he'll be alright. I don't have time to explain since I have a rib to mend and broken blood vessels. Your students can fill you in on the details," she said curtly. "Mr Wood, you're staying here."  
⠀⠀"But—!"   
⠀⠀"Evan," Laurel cut in quickly as she sensed Madam Pomfrey's rising annoyance, "you have tryouts to finish. I'll go. Don't worry about it."  
⠀⠀Evan sighed, defeated. "Fine. Just watch over him for me."  
⠀⠀Laurel smiled. "Of course."

⠀⠀Madam Pomfrey and Laurel hurried off to the hospital wing, while everyone else stayed behind to finish the tryouts. As soon as they reached the hospital wing, James was promptly placed on a bed, while Madam Pomfrey jerked her wand towards certain cabinets, little bottles flying out quickly towards her. Laurel pulled a chair to sit next to James, pulling his glasses off and placing it on the nightstand, watching Madam Pomfrey apprehensively.

⠀⠀"Just like his father," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head in almost an amused way. "He always broke some part of him at least once every year. His uncle Ron got poisoned their sixth year. His mother, Ginny, was better than the both of them though. Hardly ever came here because of herself."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed, her apprehensiveness fading away. James' family seemed so wonderfully chaotic as it was so big. The blonde watched as Madam Pomfrey's hands methodically dumped things into a heated cauldron, creating a potion to fix James.

⠀⠀"Don't you have a spell of some sort to fix his bones instantly?" Laurel asked.   
⠀⠀"If we did, all we'd have to do is wait for him to wake up," Madam Pomfrey replied calmly. "Normal spells don't work because he broke his ribs not a bone of the limbs. Magic is strange if you ask me."  
⠀⠀"So after he drinks the potion, he'll have to wait a month for the bones to heal?" Laurel asked, looking down at James' sleeping form.   
⠀⠀"Yes," Madam Pomfrey replied. "He'll be back on his broomstick in a month or so. We have to wait for him to wake up in order for the potion to work."  
⠀⠀"He won't be happy to hear that," Laurel chuckled as James stirred in his sleep. She waited for him to open his eyes, but he didn't. "The bat hit his ribs. How did he go unconscious?"  
⠀⠀"It must've been when he fell off his broom," Madam Pomfrey guessed, busying herself with the potion. Laurel nodded in response, getting up to pull the white blanket under his feet over his body. She untied the laces that held his Quidditch robes together, but left his clothes on. How awkward would that have been? she thought to herself. Very. She resorted to staring at the windowsill, which had a row of potted plants resting there in the sunlight. 

  
⠀⠀"You seem awfully close to Mr Potter, don't you, Ms Scamander?" Madam Pomfrey asked, breaking Laurel from her reverie.   
⠀⠀Laurel laughed a little. "We only just became friends, Madam Pomfrey."  
⠀⠀"Just friends? Is that so?" Madam Pomfrey insisted, a knowing smile on her face that Laurel couldn't see past.   
⠀⠀"Yes. Of course. I don't believe there will be anything more to that," Laurel stated simply, turning her blue eyes back to James. His chest was rising and falling calmly, like his body wasn't broken at all.

⠀⠀Suddenly, before Madam Pomfrey could respond, his eyelids flew open, revealing his whiskey colored eyes, which were just before so peaceful, now filled with pain. He bolted upright and then groaned loudly from the pain on his side, Laurel jumping up and slowly pushing him back down to his propped up pillows.

⠀⠀"Bloody hell!" James exclaimed, his eyebrows knit together in pain, his jaw set.   
⠀⠀"Watch your mouth, Mr Potter," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, returning to her potion. Tapping her wand on his side, his shoulders seemed to loosen. Laurel assumed that Madam Pomfrey had casted some pain-relieving spell on him. 

⠀⠀"It hurt! Why — hold on, where are my glasses?" James asked, looking at Laurel, surprised to see her. He wished it were someone else, for his heart began beating rapidly. "Laurel? What are you doing here?"  
⠀⠀"Here," Laurel said calmly, giving him his glasses. "Evan was going to come but I came in his place since he still has tryouts to carry through."  
⠀⠀"Oh," James said. "What happened out there?"  
⠀⠀"Well, Milligan hit you with the Beater's bat and you fell off your broom. Your broom is broken and — er — you can't play for a month," Laurel said, her voice lowering at the last few words, anticipating James' reaction.   
⠀⠀James' eyes widened. "A month? Quidditch season starts—"  
⠀⠀"Next week, yes, we've been informed by lovely Mister Wood," Madam Pomfrey said boredly, pouring a clear, dark purple liquid into a glass from the cauldron. "You broke a rib so you can't play. Well, Milligan broke that rib."  
⠀⠀Laurel looked at James who seemed to be quite distraught over the fact that he couldn't play for another month. "James, a month will go by quickly. Don't worry about it."  
⠀⠀"But I've been waiting a whole half a year to play again after my mum banned me from playing last year," James whined.  
⠀⠀"Speaking of which, there she is," Madam Pomfrey said, waving a finger at the door. Laurel and James turned to look that way, finding a familiar redhead barreling through the door towards her son. She was dressed in simple wizarding robes, her red hair pulled back in a loose bun on the back of her head. She had an infinite amount of freckles on her face, a long nose and neck, her eyes matching the same shade as James'. 

  
⠀⠀"Mum?" James asked, almost perking up as he saw his mother. "Where's Dad?"  
⠀⠀"He couldn't make it so I came. I came as soon as I heard," Ginny Potter said, walking past Laurel and taking a look at James, ruffling his hair despite his protests. "Your Professor Longbottom is quite quick with informing, did you know?"  
⠀⠀"No," James said incredulously. "Why would I know that?"  
⠀⠀"Never mind," Ginny said dismissively, bringing a chair next to Laurel. "Injury doesn't change you, does it?"  
⠀⠀"Except that I'm in agony, Mum," James complained dramatically. Laurel fought the urge to roll her eyes.   
⠀⠀"Well, you won't be after you drink this potion," Madam Pomfrey said, placing the glass on his nightstand.   
⠀⠀"It doesn't look appetizing," James said, his face contorting into a disgusted expression. Laurel couldn't resist it and rolled her eyes.   
⠀⠀"Drink it," all three females snapped unanimously in annoyance, scaring James. He looked at Laurel, surprised at the fire in her blue eyes. There was a sternness he had never seen before.   
⠀⠀"Merlin," he muttered, wrapping his fingers around the glass. He never knew the power of women when they were together, but now it was clear. They were stern enough to get you to drink a weird purple liquid. He quickly swallowed the liquid down his throat, gagging after drinking it all. It wasn't half as bad as he expected, but it wasn't good either. 

  
⠀⠀"Good," Ginny said in a motherly fashion, taking the glass from him, giving it to Madam Pomfrey, who looked discreetly satisfied. Ginny turned to Laurel. "I didn't expect you to be here, Laurel. You and James weren't friends until—"  
⠀⠀"This year, Mum," James said quickly. "I thought you knew."  
⠀⠀"Well, I would've known if you sent some letters home," Ginny snapped, causing James to nod to himself.   
⠀⠀"I thought Albus was updating you two back home or something," James protested.   
⠀⠀"It's not Albus' job to update us on your life, James Sirius Potter," Ginny said, defending her second son. "Besides, if you found out he was updating us on you, you would complain that he's being nosy. So what's the truth?"

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled a little as James held his mouth open to respond, but failed to do so, closing it dumbly. Ginny smiled inwardly, stifling a laugh. The truth was, Lily had been updating her and Harry on James. Albus always sent letters back home, with some complaints about James' behavior (which he got over eventually), only to be read and interpreted for amusement. Harry and Ginny knew James had a slight crush on Laurel and Ginny didn't fail to notice the way her son looked at Laurel just before. 

⠀⠀"That's right," Ginny said, a little smirk on her face, patting her son's cheek lightly. "You know I'm right. But back to Laurel, I wasn't expecting you to be here."

⠀⠀Before Laurel could respond, Madam Pomfrey did from the sink where she was washing the glass. "She saved your son's life, you know."  
⠀⠀"I — I mean, that was nothing. James is a friend. It was a moral obligation," Laurel said humbly. Ginny smiled, taking Laurel's hand into hers. Ginny practically watched the blonde grow up. She always went to the Luna's place with James and Albus for play dates with the twins and Laurel, but she never imagined Laurel and James becoming close friends in their teenage years.

⠀⠀"You saved his life and I thank you for that," Ginny said, patting Laurel's hands lightly. Laurel just smiled as they both pulled their hands apart, Laurel turning to look at James. 

⠀⠀"Do I owe you one?" James asked, chuckling. Laurel laughed heartily, shaking her head. Her blue eyes hit him again.   
⠀⠀"No, James," she said, a small mischievous smile on her face, "I think you owe me a lifetime."


	5. ACCIO

**"YOU'RE KIDDING,"** Dominique said in disbelief as she stared at the brightly colored piece of paper that Laurel had shoved into her hands, along with four other pairs of hands. "You really didn't just sign us up to tutor first-years, Laurel. This is ridiculous."  
⠀⠀"All right, _fine_ ," Laurel sighed, snatching the paper away from Dominique's hand. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."  
⠀⠀"Good, I'm _terrible_ at teaching," Callen said, relieved as she gave Laurel the paper back. Laurel felt defeated as she felt like she was the only one willing to help first-years. She turned to the three boys who had managed to squeeze themselves into the smaller couch across from the girls. 

⠀⠀They were all in the Gryffindor common room, which was empty, since everyone else was outside, enjoying a cool day of autumn. The six of them, however, were stuck inside upon Laurel's request. James was already out of the hospital wing, making his way through recovery with great progress. It was halfway through the month of October, and the trees were changing hues so quickly that Laurel couldn't keep up.   
  


⠀⠀"The three of us have Quidditch practice—" Asher began.  
⠀⠀"It's only every other day," Laurel insisted, as Evan and Asher exchanged a look while James was still looking down at the paper, his glasses slipping down his nose. "The tutoring days are the days you're available."  
⠀⠀"Laurel, I really like that you signed us up for this tutoring thing, but teaching first-years isn't really my bottle of butterbeer," Evan said honestly, as Asher made a grunt of agreement. Laurel sighed, nodding as she looked down at her shoes.

⠀⠀"I appreciate your honesty, Evan," she said, a tight smile forming on her lips. She took the papers that Asher and Evan were giving back to her, turning to James expectantly.  
⠀⠀"Are you going to bail out too?" Laurel asked, trying not to sound too down about it all. She really expected more from the lot of them, but she guessed she was wrong.  
⠀⠀"Actually," James said, looking up, pushing his glasses back up his nose, "I can make it. You can't do this on your own, can you?"

⠀⠀Laurel couldn't help but smile as everyone else looked at James incredulously, all except Dominique, who leaned back on the sofa. The redhead always seemed to know more, a smug smile planted on her face at her cousin. 

⠀⠀"You can?" Laurel asked, her face brightening up immediately. "That's brilliant! The first session is on Tuesday afternoon right after regular classes end and we'll be helping in the Great Hall after it's all set up."  
⠀⠀"Are you sure about this, mate?" Asher asked, his left eyebrow perked up. "You're really cutting down on Quidditch."  
⠀⠀"Have you forgotten that I can't play for another month? I sort of got my bloody ribs broken by a bat," James said, lifting up his shirt and pointing at his side which was bandaged all the way around. "I've got a whole month to kill."  
⠀⠀" _Right_ ," Asher said, sighing. "I still can't believe you,"—he jabbed a finger at Evan—"allowed Milligan to be on the team."  
⠀⠀"He hit James hard enough to break his fucking left rib!" Evan exclaimed, pointing at James' shirt-covered ribs. "Besides, he was the only good player on the tryouts who could fill in the place for Beater. You're going to have to deal with him, Ash."  
⠀⠀Asher sighed, getting a pat on the shoulders from James.

⠀⠀"You're not mad at Milligan?" Callen asked James. "He delayed your playing time."  
⠀⠀"I'll admit, I was a little mad at first," James said, shrugging. "But it's alright. I guess he was too deep in the moment. I don't think he was thinking clearly."  
⠀⠀"Are _you_ thinking clearly?" Dominique asked incredulously.

⠀⠀James just laughed in response as everyone else did too, Dom rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀"So you forgive him?" Callen asked, almost incredulously.  
⠀⠀"Yeah," James said, waving it off. "I mean, if he's going to be on the team now, might as well. Besides, I can't be on bad terms with _everyone_." He eyed Laurel, who caught his glance, both proceeding to look away right as their eyes met. Dominique, of course, noticed.

⠀⠀Everyone nodded, making noises of acknowledgement. Then Laurel perked up.

⠀⠀"Did Anderson make the team?" she asked. Callen and Dominique spared a glance her way, which she didn't notice. "His team, I mean."  
⠀⠀"No, he didn't," James said, he motioned at Evan, who sat next to Asher, who was in the middle. "Evan says that he wasn't good enough."  
⠀⠀"I never said th—"  
⠀⠀" _Stop_ _lying_ ," everyone except Laurel said unanimously.  
⠀⠀" _All right_ , I _might've_ said that," Evan said, raising his hands in surrender. "I mean, he was the one that provoked Milligan in the first place. Besides, Wade said that."  
⠀⠀"You mean he was the one who struck up a fight with Milligan first?" Laurel asked. Liam was problematic, but she didn't think he was _that_ problematic.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Asher said. "I was there and then Liam decided to go off on Milligan because he accidentally aimed a Bludger at him. But Liam actually moved to where Milligan was aiming just to start something up with him."  
⠀⠀"You know, when everyone came down to see if James was all right, he didn't," Callen said warily. "Something has been really up with him lately."  
⠀⠀"I am famous, I mean—"  
⠀⠀" _James_ ," everyone cut in exasperatedly, rolling their eyes or slapping their foreheads with their hands.  
⠀⠀" _Anyway_ ," Laurel said, "ever since he wanted to start a fight with my brothers and was following me around, I'm sure something already had been up." She shook her head. "But whatever. He's none of our business so why don't we leave it at that?"  
⠀⠀"You're right. Can we go out now?" Dominique asked, sitting up from leaning back on the couch.

⠀⠀Laurel waved her hand for them to go and all of them got up except her. Dominique and Callen casted her a confused look. "I'll catch up with you later," Laurel told the group. "I need to put these papers away and grab my sketchbook."  
⠀⠀"Okay," Callen said, getting pulled out by Dominique promptly, who just nodded at Laurel.

⠀⠀Just when Laurel thought they were all gone, she turned around and found James sitting on the couch still, staring at her head. He was startled by the swift turn of her head, quickly averting is gaze to the empty fireplace. Laurel smiled inwardly to herself, getting up and plopping down next to him casually, their shoulders touching.

⠀⠀"Do you actually want to do these tutoring classes?" Laurel asked, following his gaze and staring at the fireplace as well. "Because if you really don't, you don't have to."

⠀⠀James turned to look at her and she turned back, locking eyes. She had no idea that he was now drowning in her ocean colored eyes, his stomach lurching as he realized how close they were. His eyes trailed down to her rosy lips, which were shaped into a smile. James had a sudden urge to press his lips against hers, to touch her, to make her his. But she wasn't his to love, she wasn't his to think about in that way. She wasn't his. She was her own. And he loved that about her.   
  


⠀⠀"I'll do it," James said, his gaze not wavering despite his feelings. "It sounds like fun."  
⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "You know first-years. Not all of them are pleasant. Are you up for the challenge?"  
⠀⠀"Are you challenging me, Laurel? Are you _actually_ challenging me?" James asked, a bit of cockiness flashing through his brown eyes. Laurel didn't miss it.

⠀⠀She smirked a little. "Don't be so cocky, _James_. Of _course_ I'm challenging you. Nothing seems to challenge you." Her eyebrow quirked slightly with mischief.  
⠀⠀"Well, I _love_ a challenge," James said, his smirk evident on his face.  
⠀⠀"Then a challenge you will get," Laurel said, her smirk growing as she pulled back from him, getting up to go to her dormitory to grab her sketchbook and book like she had intended to, leaving James feeling slightly helpless as the warm body that was next to him just before was gone.  
  
  


▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **LAUREL HAD A WARM** woolen sweater on that hung slightly off her shoulder, while a scarlet and gold patterned scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck. She sat on the grass watching Asher, Dominique, and Callen throw Evan's shoe around while he tried to get it from them. Laurel had no idea how they had gotten a hold of it, since James and her arrived later than the other four, but it was certainly rather entertaining. James was sitting close to the playful group, a longing in his eyes to join them. But due to his injury, he was advised not to move too much. And by the looks of it, Evan could injure him pretty badly.

⠀⠀The blonde grinned as she opened her leather bundle of sharpened colored and graphite pencils, laying her sketchbook on her criss-crossed legs. She always loved autumn, not only because it might've been her name if Luna hadn't wanted to keep the 'L' streak going, but because the colors of the trees were absolutely stunning. If you were on a mountain and stared down, you would see rows and rows of different colored leaves and Laurel found that so breathtaking. As breathtaking as the sunset. Even though neither were on a canvas or a piece of paper, both were beautiful works of art.   
  


⠀⠀Once someone had told her she was a work of art. That she was a masterpiece. That she was admired. That perhaps he would never stop admiring her. But then he did. And it broke her so much that she swore to never love again.

⠀⠀Sure, she recovered from it, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, fiery and vibrant in hot colors, but he had pushed it past the breaking point. Laurel knew she didn't need a boy to prove what she was worth, but maybe she had given too much of herself to him and all he did was smash it to pieces on the floor. It was after her revival that she realized that she was still a work of art, even if he stopped admiring. There was always one person who would admire her. And it was herself. It was all she needed to come back around and take a full swing at his pitiful face. She relished in the satisfaction of it all. 

⠀⠀Laurel broke from her reverie when she heard someone sit down next to her, leaning back on the tree that she was under. It was James, who was wearing a navy blue woven hat, a black jacket, and a scarf that was identical to the one wrapped around Laurel's neck, his glasses sliding off his nose just for him to push them back up.

⠀⠀"Nice phoenix," he said, pointing at her sketch. She glanced down, not realizing that she had grabbed all the hot colors in her color pencil bundle and formed the curves of the phoenix's wings and body on the page. The colors were so perfectly matched; bright oranges mixed well with deep reds, with tinges of yellow highlighting certain parts that accentuated the majesty of the bird.

⠀⠀"Thanks," Laurel said, her voice quiet. "I didn't even know I drew this."  
⠀⠀"Can I see it?" James asked, reaching for the book.  
⠀⠀"You _are_ seeing it," Laurel said dismissively, moving the sketchbook away from him, her eyes still on the phoenix.  
⠀⠀" _Laurel_ ," James whined. "Please?"  
⠀⠀"No," Laurel said firmly, closing the sketchbook and wrapping her bundle of colored pencils, shoving them back in her leather shoulder bag. "You're not getting it."  
⠀⠀"Yes, I a—"  
⠀⠀"James Sirius Potter, I will break your ribs again if you don't stay away!" Laurel threatened playfully, keeping her arm out straight, her fingers splayed, so he couldn't advance any further.  
⠀⠀"Why can't I see it?" James asked, although he complied to Laurel's attempts at keeping him away, recoiling back to his spot on the tree, leaning back.  
⠀⠀"Because you'll go through the entire book instead of just that drawing," Laurel said, pulling out a book to read instead. James was about to protest when she quickly cut him off. "And you know it!"  
⠀⠀"Okay _fine_ ," James admitted. "I just think you're a really brilliant artist."  
⠀⠀"Thanks," Laurel said again. She searched her mind for something James was good at. "You're a really great Chaser."  
⠀⠀"Well, I can't play now that Milligan's broken my ribs," James said nonchalantly. There was no menace in his tone. It was just like he was spitting out facts.  
⠀⠀"You can still teach me how to fly though, right?" Laurel asked, looking up at him from her book as she remembered. He couldn't help but melt a little as she looked at him.  
⠀⠀"We can sneak into the Quiditch pitch if you'd like," James said, nudging Laurel with his shoulder playfully. Laurel rolled her eyes but chuckled a little.  
⠀⠀"That's breaking the rules," Laurel said, shaking her head, a small smile spreading across her face, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. "But then again, you're all for being against the rules."  
⠀⠀"And right you are," James said, winking at Laurel, who didn't notice as she turned to look at the sky right as he winked at her.  
⠀⠀"Do you see that?" Laurel asked, pointing up at the sky.

⠀⠀James looked up to see what she was pointing at, finding the translucent quarter moon residing in the sky, blending into the blue sky, the clouds surrounding it at just the right places. "The moon?"  
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, her eyes still on it while James looked back at her. She looked absolutely breathtaking and James sighed a little. She could never be his. She wasn't his to keep.

⠀⠀He felt helpless around her. He sat there, his shoulders sagged, sagged in awe almost. James loved her, whether he would say so or not. And she would probably never know.

⠀⠀James smiled wistfully at her, looking back down at his shoes, his hands together as he fiddled with the hem of his plaid shirt. Laurel turned back from looking at the moon and stared at him for a little, trying to figure him out. She gave up eventually, shrugging it off as she pushed her blonde hair back, staring at her four standing friends, now playing around with Asher's hat. She chuckled a little then returned to her book. 

⠀⠀James reminded Laurel of the moon sometimes. He hid in the day like the moon and only shone in the dark. She knew he hid his emotions well; he had layers to him. He came off as a little shit, but inside he had a kind heart. You just needed to know where to look and poke at. Other times he was like the sun, so bright, he was blinding. But sometimes, he burned too bright and everything that touched him would burn.

⠀⠀Curiousity filled Laurel, her blue eyes scanning his face as he looked at the glassy Black Lake with his chocolate brown eyes. She wanted to figure him out. _Badly_ , now that she came to terms with it.

⠀⠀She smiled a little as she turned back to her open book. She was going to be able to figure him out soon enough.   
  
  


▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**"I SWEAR, THEY'RE GETTING SMALLER** andsmaller every year," James commented as he entered the Great Hall with Laurel, who rolled her eyes in response. She turned around, stopping him in his tracks before he was able to continue walking.

⠀⠀"Yes, they're small, James," Laurel said, a small glint in her blue eyes, "but never underestimate the power of the small ones." She patted him lightly on his chest, turning back around and walking confidently through the Great Hall. She was wearing a brightly colored pair of dangling earrings, purple ribbons tying of her hair into two neat gold pigtails. Her cork necklace hung loosely around her neck, but the first-years didn't seem to mind.   
  
  


⠀⠀As soon as James and Laurel reached a table where two professors sat at, they were immediately assigned to two first years who were both in Hufflepuff. As Laurel found hers, she couldn't help but chuckle. Who knew an eleven year old could be so adorable? The small girl was plump, her rosy cheeks and big dark brown eyes giving off an innocent vibe. She had dark skin and uncontrollably curly black hair that tumbled effortlessly down her back. She didn't seem to care. Her legs hung at least five inches above the floor, dangling from where she sat. She was so small for an eleven year old. 

⠀⠀"Hi! You're Lavanya Patil?" Laurel asked merrily, plopping down next to the girl.

⠀⠀The girl smiled brightly, her smile quite innocent. Her brown eyes flashed the good kind of ignorance and immaturity. She had yet to be touched by the darkness of the world.

⠀⠀"Yes," she said with a heavy South Asian accent. "That is my name. It is the first time someone has said it right."  
⠀⠀Laurel grinned. "Well, it's a beautiful name. I'm Laurel Scamander and I'm going to be your tutor for the rest of the semester, I believe."  
⠀⠀"That's brilliant! I have heard all about your brothers. Did they actually flood the bathroom?" Lavanya rambled childishly.  
⠀⠀The blonde laughed and lowered her voice. "Actually, the bathroom was already broken. They just made it worse."  
⠀⠀Lavanya grinned mischievously. "Have you ever broken the rules, Laurel?"  
⠀⠀Laurel shook her head as memories of her younger Hogwarts days of breaking the rules flashed through her mind. "Of course not."  
⠀⠀Lavanya didn't respond for a moment. Then she smiled her adorable mischievous smile again. "You are lying."  
⠀⠀"Am not!" Laurel replied playfully.  
⠀⠀"Am too!"  
⠀⠀Before Laurel could bite back with a response, James shushed her across the table. Laurel and Lavanya's heads snapped towards him, softly glaring.  
⠀⠀"Shh! Castor and I are trying to study here!" James whispered loudly a little smirk on his face, scooting over to the girls with the little Asian boy he sat next too. The boy wore a pair of rectangular glasses and sat with a posture that told Laurel he was mature for his age. He had raven colored hair, dark brown eyes, and fair skin that matched Callen's. Laurel then realized that it was Callen's younger brother, who had just started Hogwarts. Merlin, she should've paid attention at the Sorting ceremony instead of playing with her silverware. 

⠀⠀The boy casted a glance at Lavanya, who looked at him curiously before he averted his gaze quickly, his ears turning a little red. Laurel took note of it and glanced at Lavanya, who turned back to her open notebook. She smiled a little, turning back to James. 

⠀⠀"We were just getting to know each other and you decided to go and ruin it," Laurel said playfully. "Don't you want to get to know Castor?"  
⠀⠀"No need," James shot back with the same playfulness. "Everyone knows me. I'm Harry Potter's firstborn."  
⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes, resting her head on her hand as Castor and Lavanya laughed. "Prick."  
⠀⠀" _Excuse_ you," James replied, pretending to sound offended. "Laurel! There are children!"  
⠀⠀" _Children?_ " Castor and Lavanya said unanimously, a little too loudly. Luckily, they were in the back of the Great Hall.  
⠀⠀"We are _not_ children," Castor said, Lavanya nodding vigorously in agreement. James glanced at Laurel, who shrugged.  
⠀⠀"If you say so," James said, shrugging.  
⠀⠀"Just ignore him," Laurel told the two Hufflepuffs. "The whole firstborn thing is getting to his head."  
⠀⠀"Laurel—"  
⠀⠀"Shut up, James. Lavanya and I are trying to study here," Laurel said, faking annoyance.  
⠀⠀" _Fine_ ," James said. "I'll leave you alone." Laurel didn't respond as Lavanya pulled at her shirt, making her lean down so she could whisper in Laurel's ear.  
⠀⠀"Is he your boyfriend?" she asked innocently.  
⠀⠀Laurel choked down a snort. "No, Lavanya, of course not. I thought you'd ask if he was _really_ Harry Potter's son but you're asking me if he's my _boyfriend_?"  
⠀⠀Lavanya giggled. "I just think you two would be lovely together."  
⠀⠀"You think what you like, child," Laurel said, taking a glance at Lavanya's notebook.  
⠀⠀"Again! I am not a child!" Lavanya exclaimed, crossing her arms, her accent heavier with her voice rising. "Just because I'm a first-year does not mean I am a child."  
⠀⠀"Yes, yes, of course," Laurel said. "Now we need to get to your studies. What do you need help with?"  
⠀⠀Lavanya sighed. "The Summoning Charm. Everyone seems to get it except me."  
⠀⠀"Oh," Laurel said. "Don't worry, Lavanya. You'll be a pro at it in no time."  
⠀⠀A small smile appeared on Laurel's face. "I don't get the wand work. Do we point and say ' _Accio whatever_ '? Or is there some sort of waving involved?"  
⠀⠀"Well, what I do is point and say the incantation," Laurel explained. She was pretty good with charms. She was glad she had checked that off on the form to become a tutor.  
⠀⠀"Have you ever used it?" Lavanya asked.  
⠀⠀"Of course!" Laurel exclaimed. "It's so useful."  
⠀⠀"Have you?" Lavanya asked, looking at James. Him and Castor had gotten distracted by the girls' conversation.  
⠀⠀"No. It's for lazy people," James said, shaking his head. Then his hand flew to his face and he made a motion to push up his glasses. "Wait—where are my glasses?"  
⠀⠀Laurel tried not to roll her eyes. "Have you tried ' _Accio Glasses_ '?"  
⠀⠀James gaped at her for a bit, his face then turning into a simple smile as if he were humiliating himself. "No, but that sounds pretty legitimate."

⠀⠀Lavanya and Castor bursted out laughing, while Laurel stared at James, scrutinizing him. He just stared back, a smile of triumph smacked onto the bottom part of his face. Laurel glared at him, turning back to Lavanya. They continued to study for another hour until Lavanya finally got the hang of the charm. Her reaction was priceless. Her obsidian eyes lit up in delight and content. Laurel was so happy she helped, grinning at the girl with satisfaction. 

⠀⠀By the end, she left with James, a dreamy smile plastered on her face. She watched as Castor and Lavanya headed to their dormitory together, talking avidly about Professor Longbottom's sweet smelling lavender plants. As much as she noticed the two first-years, she didn't notice the way James looked at her, his brown eyes melting a little like chocolate as he witnessed her satisfied smile.

⠀⠀He just wished that he was the reason she was smiling.   
  
  


▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**CALLEN SLID AN ENVELOPE** towards Laurel across the table during dinner. "It's from New York. You forgot to grab it at lunch."  
⠀⠀"New York?" Laurel echoed, almost dropping her spoon. "You mean it's from my grandmother?"  
⠀⠀"It says Scamander so I'm assuming it is," Callen said as Laurel snatched up the envelope from its spot on the table.

⠀⠀It _was_ her grandmother, Cressida Scamander. She quickly wolfed down the rest of her dinner before running out of the Great Hall to the Gryffindor Tower to read the letter. She wanted to be comfortable when she read it. The Great Hall was far from her definition of comfortable and it far too noisy.

⠀⠀She told the Fat Lady the password, hurrying inside the tower, running upstairs. She threw off her shoes and plopped onto her bed, ripping the letter open on the sides instead of the flap. It was just easier for her.

⠀⠀Laurel opened the folded parchment paper and smiled as she saw her grand mother's beautiful cursive engraved into the paper. She always loved her grandmother's handwriting.  
  
  
  


_September 21st_

⠀⠀⠀⠀ _My dearest, Laurel,_

⠀⠀ _My days are numbered, but while writing to you, sweetie, they feel infinite. You grow more and more beautiful day by day and to me, you are still that little golden haired girl that grew an orchid plant in five days for me. Your lovely mother swears it was something in that water that you fed it. I disagree. I still have that orchid plant._  
⠀⠀ _Your brothers always send me those helpful little potions; they help me immensely with my back pain. They still have a lot to learn and, don't tell them this, but I'm putting together a little potions book for their birthday in a few months. I think they'll like it. They keep telling me that they always ask you to buy them ingredients because they've been banned from going to Hogsmeade (quite rebellious, don't you think?). Thank you so much. I just hope they didn't blow up another toilet just to make those potions. Hogwarts has suffered enough for the past years._

⠀⠀ _New York is just as always. Today rained. A lot. It wasn't very pleasant but at least I didn't have to go out and water the grass. You love the rain. I thought of you. But then again, I'm always thinking about my beautiful granddaughter. I wish you were here. Maybe if Rolf hadn't been born in Britain, you'd be here. But then he wouldn't have met your wonderful mother._

⠀⠀ _Please don't scold me for asking this, but isn't it time you had a boyfriend? Your mother's best friends with Ginny Potter. Perhaps her oldest son? Isn't he about your age? Okay, your grandmother's dreams are getting out of hand._

⠀⠀ _Your father wouldn't want me to tell you this, but the Healers are saying I'm not getting better. This illness isn't curable, even with the Muggle healing methods. They're calling my sickness 'cancer' and it's not curable by magic or the healing methods of the Muggles. There's something called 'chemotherapy' or something, but they're saying its a rare form of cancer and chemotherapy won't completely heal me. I would just be given extra time to live._

⠀⠀ _Laurel, I know you might cry, but please don't. I love you so much and I want to see you happy before I see your grandfather again. Promise me this._

⠀⠀ _Come to New York soon, my love._

_I love you so much,_   
_Grandma_   
  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel felt her breath catch in her throat. Her stomach seemed to fall out of place, dropping into depths of her body that she didn't even know existed. What had she just read? Magic could heal. It could heal everything, couldn't it? Magic could solve everyone's problems, right? If you wanted to be rid of memories, you could easily get rid of them. If you broke a glass, you could repair it with a single incantation and a tap of your wand. But why couldn't it get rid of a simple disease?

⠀⠀She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, apologizing inwardly to her grandmother for not listening. She couldn't not cry. Her grandmother, whom she was so close to, could die at any moment from now. And it broke her heart. 

⠀⠀Loud voices and footsteps broke her from her reverie. She quickly wiped her tears, and sat up, trying to look inconspicuous as her two best friends walked in. She failed to keep her emotions from them, their gleeful smiles vanishing immediately.

⠀⠀"Laurel? Why are you—oh my Merlin, what's happened?" Callen asked, rushing over to Laurel who had begun to cry all over again. Dominique stood at the doorway for a bit longer, glancing out before shutting the door behind her, rushing over to sit across from Laurel on her own bed. Laurel had her head resting on Callen's shoulder as quiet sobs shook violently from her body, her usual happy blue eyes submerged in clear and salty drops of water.

⠀⠀"Laurel," Dominique said gently; she was never the comforting type, but now she tried her hardest, "what happened?"

⠀⠀The blonde didn't answer for a few moments as she continued to cry, her hands clutching the letter desperately, staining Callen's shirt with her tears; Callen didn't mind. Once her eyes ran out of tears, she pushed herself gently off of Callen's shoulder, sniffing, her eyes puffy and red. She was overreacting. Her grandma wasn't dead right now so why was she sobbing like she was at a funeral?

⠀⠀"I'm sorry, I just—" the words caught in her throat. She sighed before letting go of the letter, placing it on her nightstand. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before opening them again and looking at her two friends.  
⠀⠀"My grandmother wrote to me," Laurel said after another deep breath. "She, well, she told me that she's suffering from something called 'cancer'."  
⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin," Callen muttered. Of course she knew what it was, being a Muggle-born. Dominique remained confused.  
⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel acknowledged Callen, her voice trembling, wringing her fingers. "Er—they say even chemotherapy from the Muggles won't help because it's a rare form of the illness. And...she could...she could be dead...at any moment right now. And I don't know what to do. You both know how much she means to me."

⠀⠀Callen and Dominique nodded solemnly. Of course they knew. They knew about that as soon as Laurel had gotten a considerably large parcel from New York, which happened to be filled with art supplies and a heartfelt letter. They met Cressida Scamander once or twice when they visited Laurel during the summer; Cressida always came by during the summer.

⠀⠀"Sorry, I shouldn't be sad. She's not gone yet, right?" Laurel said, more to herself than her two friends, forcing a rueful smile. Dominique and Callen looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Laurel.  
⠀⠀"Hey, don't be sorry for your feelings," Dominique said, reaching over to touch Laurel's knee. "It's okay to be sad. You don't have to be happy all the time. That's impossible."

⠀⠀Laurel looked at her friend gratefully as Callen nodded in agreement to Dominique.

⠀⠀"She loves you so much," Callen said gently, Laurel nodding. "Write back when you're feeling better, okay?"

⠀⠀The blonde nodded and didn't say anything, signifying to her friends that she wanted to be alone for awhile. Dominique and Callen then proceeded to their own things, winding down for the night. They left Laurel alone, which she was immensely grateful for. Some fights were better off fighting alone.  
  
  


▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **LAUREL COULDN'T SLEEP.** She tossed and turned, got up to go to the bathroom a few times, and spent minutes just staring at the corner of her pillow, which she could see the faint outline of from the moonlight spewing into the room. She hated it when she couldn't sleep. It was like she couldn't breathe. She promised herself she wouldn't cry for the rest of the night and it was suffocating.

⠀⠀She stared at Dominique, who was snoring loudly. Not like it bothered Laurel. She had been next to the redhead for the past five years. It was about time she was used to it. She turned over and found Callen, whose chest rose and fell peacefully, like nothing in the world was bothering her. Nothing was major was bothering Callen of course. But for Laurel, it felt like her world was starting to crash down around her.

⠀⠀The blonde wondered if her brothers couldn't sleep. They probably couldn't if they knew. They loved their grandmother just as much as Laurel did. Laurel wanted to get up and see them but then she realized, she couldn't possibly know their dormitory password, let alone walk into the boys' dormitory to wake them up if they were asleep. Maybe tomorrow would be a better shot at talking to them, she concluded.

⠀⠀Laurel rolled over onto her stomach, stuffing her arms under her pillow, closing her eyes like she had multiple times before, trying to get to sleep. But sleep would not come. She let out an inward groan and decided then that she had had enough, throwing her pillow off her bed frustratedly. She whipped off her blankets and pulled on her hoodie, walking downstairs to the common room, which was pitch black. But even in the dark, she could tell where everything was, walking over to the couch and turning on the lamp, which immediately illuminated the gold and scarlet room with a soft yellow tinge. It wasn't too bright but bright enough to see where everything was. 

⠀⠀Including the boy who sat so still on the couch across from Laurel. As soon as the blonde caught sight of him, she yelped, causing him to cry out in shock also. 

⠀⠀"James?" Laurel asked, her heart beating violently against her chest. He sat so still that she didn't notice him before. He was in a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, his already untidy hair an utter mess, and his eyes alert but also distant at the same time. His glasses were nowhere to be found. "What are you doing here?"  
⠀⠀"Couldn't sleep," James said, sighing as he moved over on the couch and offered Laurel the space next to him. She took it without hesitation, staring into the empty fireplace without actually looking at it. James easily noticed the slight change in her eyes. They were a shade sadder, a tinge darker. And he wondered why. "You?"  
⠀⠀She sighed, casting her glance down to the hem of her sweater sleeve, tugging at it nervously. "Couldn't sleep," she said finally, heaving another sigh, pulling up her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs.

⠀⠀"Why not?" he asked, looking at her.

⠀⠀Laurel's blue eyes found its way to his calm face, staring at him for a moment. They locked eyes and James felt as if he was drowning. He couldn't breathe.

⠀⠀She finally looked away, closing her eyes and cradling her head between her arms and legs. She wanted to tell him everything but she didn't know if she could trust him. He probably could trust her with his life, since she had saved him and everything, but she didn't know if he would do the same for her.

⠀⠀"Look, Laurel, you can trust me with anything," James said sincerely as she lifted her head up to look at him again. "I promise I won't tell a soul." He shifted in his spot, bringing his leg up as he turned his body to completely face Laurel.

⠀⠀"I mean, there isn't much to tell," Laurel shrugged. She paused before continuing. "Remember the letter that Callen gave me?"  
⠀⠀James nodded, faintly remembering how Laurel's expression had changed when Callen had given her the letter. "I remember."  
⠀⠀"Well, it was from my grandma," Laurel stated, forcing her voice not to tremble. "She's been sick for months with this...illness. And they recently found out it's what Muggles call cancer. There's no cure because it's a rare form. Even magic won't help."  
⠀⠀"I thought magic could heal anything. Fix anything," James said resignedly. "I suppose not."  
⠀⠀"I thought that too," Laurel said, her voice quiet. "It's just a matter of time now."  
⠀⠀"A matter of time? For what?" James inquired, confused.  
⠀⠀"A matter of time until—" the words caught in her throat and she choked on them, feeling the tears come to her eyes. She couldn't pull herself together. She couldn't do it. But she couldn't cry in front of him, could she?

⠀⠀Laurel felt like she couldn't do anything. She couldn't cry in front of James. She couldn't hold herself together. She couldn't keep herself in one piece. She couldn't save her grandmother. She felt utterly useless. 

⠀⠀"...until she dies," Laurel squeaked, the words shocking as they rolled off her own tongue.  
⠀⠀James stared intently at her for a moment. "I-I don't know what to say, I—"  
⠀⠀"James," she said, looking at him despite the tears welling up in her eyes, "it's okay. I'll be okay."  
⠀⠀"No, it's not," James said immediately. "It's not okay. You're not okay. Don't tell me that you're going to be okay when you're not."

⠀⠀Laurel couldn't help but smile a little. She felt a small tear trickle down from her eye down her cheek, where it continued to flow down and fall onto her sweater, staining the sleeve. She didn't care whether she cried in front of him or not anymore. She couldn't keep her feelings locked up inside of her.   
  


⠀⠀James had had multiple encounters with crying girls. Lily made up at least eighty-percent of them, Rose a couple of times, and Dominique once. Dominique had been the first and he had no idea what to do then. But now he knew what to do.

⠀⠀Even so, this was quite a shocker. He had never seen Laurel cry, let alone cry around him. To him, it seemed like she was always happy but this clearly proved that he was wrong.   
  


⠀⠀Laurel was a different kind of cryer. All the girls James had helped always clung onto his shirt but Laurel clung onto herself, wrapping her hands around her shoulders as if to protect herself. Maybe other girls did that too but for James, this was something new.   
  
  


⠀⠀Her shoulders began to shake, trembling violently as more tears began streaming down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, covering her face with her hands, finding it hard to breathe. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into him. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears. He leaned his head on hers, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she cried, not saying a word. That, she was immensely grateful for. His actions already spoke volumes and it was enough for her.   
  


⠀⠀The two remained that way until Laurel fell asleep, her head sliding down to his chest, where she was lulled to sleep by the faint beat of his heart. And she completely fell asleep right when it skipped a beat.


	6. DEVIL'S SNARE

**SHE NEEDED TO GET** away. Laurel didn't want to think about how bad her grandmother's condition was. It wasn't as if she was dying but Laurel knew somewhere in the back of her mind that it was inevitable. She didn't want to believe it either.

⠀⠀She rushed out of the school after heading to the Owlery and mailing a letter to her grandmother, onto the castle grounds, her shoes meeting the soft green grass and her eyes meeting the night sky. It was dark and chilly outside but she couldn't care less. She wrapped her jacket tighter around her and pulled out her wand, trekking towards the Forbidden Forest. She was never really afraid of the Forest; maybe because she found it rather intriguing if you didn't find yourself in the middle of centaur territory.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel remembered last night's events vividly in her mind. _She cried in front of James Sirius Potter_. He was the last person she wanted to cry in front of. She didn't know if she could ever forgive herself for doing that. She really wished that he hadn't seen that side of her, the emotional side of her that was in complete and utter turmoil. Thanking Merlin that she hadn't seen his face when she cried into his shirt, she tried to push the memory away from her mind as she continued to walk towards the wooded area. But she knew the more she tried, the harder it would be. It just worked that way for some reason.

⠀⠀She avoided the boy all day. She changed her seat in the classes they shared (except Herbology, which there were assigned seats where she so happened to be next to James. She resented Professor Longbottom for the day) and spent most of her free time in the library, pretending to do work while actually trying to pull herself together enough to write a letter back. She knew that he had noticed her sudden change of behavior, never failing to notice from the corner of her eye his slightly disappointed face or the sag of his shoulders.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Thankfully, she had her brothers to talk to instead of just James. Dominique and Callen knew to leave her alone while she tried to recover from the sudden and shocking news of the letter. She found both of them sitting at a table in the corner of the library, both reading a book but not actually reading it. They looked lost in the letters, their eyes distant from the world around them.

⠀⠀Laurel had walked to the two of them, sitting down quietly, startling them even so. They set their books down, glancing at each other before looking at Laurel with the saddest expression that she had ever seen in her entire life.

⠀⠀"You know about Grand—" Lorcan began, heaving a sigh.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel cut in, her voice tight. "I know all about it."

⠀⠀"She sent you a letter too? Yesterday?" Lysander asked, his once normally loud voice quiet now.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, sighing. "She told us—"

⠀⠀"Not to tell Dad, yeah," Lysander said, fiddling with the corner of the book he had set down. Laurel had noticed the title: _Potions for the Sick._ She looked at Lorcan's book too, finding a book about potions in his hands too. Then she finally noticed the stack of books next to them, each having something to do with potions. 

⠀⠀"You know that these potions aren't going to help, right?" Laurel said calmly, looking at Lysander.

⠀⠀Lysander looked up at her, his eyes unreadable. Lorcan looked up too, casting a side glance at his twin.

⠀⠀"This isn't the time for your blatant honesty, Laurel," Lysander said curtly, his eyes still locked on Laurel's face.

⠀⠀"I would rather choke out the truth than sing out a lie," Laurel bit back. "I know the truth hurts but in the end it's the best for us all."

⠀⠀"Or maybe I already know they're not going to work and that maybe you could just keep your mouth shut," Lysander snapped at her. Now his expression was readable. There was a quiet fire behind his eyes, slowly coming out, getting hotter and hotter.

⠀⠀Laurel was about to snap back when Lorcan put a hand on her arm. "Laurel. Seriously. Not now."

⠀⠀The blonde listened to Lorcan, flaring up her nose and leaning back defeatedly on her chair, crossing her arms and glaring at Lysander. "Have either of you sent anything back?"

⠀⠀"No," Lorcan said as Lysander shook his head tightly. "I just don't know what to write."

⠀⠀"I don't either," Laurel sighed. 

⠀⠀The three of them fell silent, too lost in their own thoughts to speak.

⠀⠀Laurel, feeling bad about her honesty earlier, piped up, breaking the silence. "She did say she was grateful for those potions you two made and that it helped with her back pain, so I guess you could still send her those." _To ease her pain before she_.... Laurel couldn't think about it. She didn't dare say it out loud.

⠀⠀"And we still owe you about eight Galleons each," Lysander chuckled a little, his angry expression now replaced with a comical grin.

⠀⠀"When do you need me to restock?" Laurel asked.

⠀⠀"This weekend?" Lorcan asked, looking between the two happily as they didn't fight anymore.

⠀⠀"Fine," Laurel said. "You still owe me those Galleons."

⠀⠀"Yeah, yeah," Lysander said, waving his hand as he picked up the book again. "Lorc, I found this potion and it's so much easier to make than the one we usually make and it helps the same way."

⠀⠀Laurel watched as her two brothers conversed. She was never really interested in potions the way they were. She was the best at Charms, hexes, and history, while they were amazing at potions, Ancient Runes, and astronomy. All three shared two common interests though: Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.  
  


⠀⠀They had spent the next hour or so in the library, telling stories and getting hushed by the librarian for being too loud. It wasn't unexpected, especially since Lysander was pretty loud most of the time. Laurel told them about Lavanya and the twins seemed to be enlightened by the fact that they were, well, famous.

⠀⠀"You _did_ blow up like two toilets so how wouldn't you be famous?" Laurel asked, rolling her eyes as the twins looked at each other, their grey eyes filled with excited was.

⠀⠀"It's just that we didn't know a first-year would know," Lorcan said. "Which means that she must've had a sibling tell her about it."

⠀⠀"Don't get all tangled up in your so called fame, you two," Laurel warned, pointing two splayed fingers at them. "I don't want you blowing up more toilets just for the fun of it."

⠀⠀" _Okay_ ," Lysander said, waving his hands. "I swear, you get more and more like Mum by the hour."

⠀⠀"You know women," Lorcan said, a slightly knowing look on his face, "it's part of their nature. To be _motherly_."

⠀⠀Laurel eyed him carefully, looking up from the Charms essay she was writing. "What are you suggesting, Lorcan?"

⠀⠀"Nothing, Laurel. Nothing at all," Lorcan waved the matter away.

⠀⠀"I don't believe you for a second," Laurel said, narrowing her eyes as she placed her quill down. "Spit it out."

⠀⠀Lorcan and Lysander exchanged a look and Lorcan shook his head. "Don't say it, Lysander. Don't you dare."

⠀⠀"He thinks you're pregnant," Lysander blurted. Lorcan smacked him in the arm, the sound resonating through the library.

⠀⠀" _What?!"_ Laurel spluttered, struggling to keep her voice down. "Lorcan, I don't even _have_ a boyfriend!"

⠀⠀"I know that!" Lorcan exclaimed, smiling a little. "It's just that you've been with that Potter boy a lot lately and you've been eating a lot more than before so—"

⠀⠀"You did not just assume that I was _fucking_ James Potter," Laurel said, her voice clipped. 

⠀⠀"No—"

⠀⠀"Yes, he did," Lysander said, receiving another smack from Lorcan.

⠀⠀"Lorcan, I'm going to shove you in a toilet and blow it up," Laurel said, her hands rubbing her face tiredly. "Seriously, what gave you that bloody idea?!"

⠀⠀"I already told you," Lorcan said defensively. "You were eating more than usual."

⠀⠀"So _are_ you pregnant?" Lysander asked before Laurel could respond.

⠀⠀Laurel shot him a dangerous look. "The one we should be worried about as to whether or not is pregnant is Roxanne, _Lysander_ ," she snapped.

⠀⠀Lorcan smirked slightly and shrugged at Lysander as he looked open-mouthed at Laurel, looking back to his brother for help, who gave him none. Laurel grinned victoriously and returned to her essay contentedly, ignoring the twins.   
  
  


⠀⠀Roxanne had come a little later to take Lysander away from the little family reunion and Lorcan and Laurel didn't mind, smirking at their now little inside joke. Lysander grabbed his book and told Lorcan to meet with him later before running away with Roxanne. You could say Lysander and Roxanne were pretty crazy for each other. They spent every ounce of time that they had with each other and as oblivious as she was, Laurel didn't fail to notice the purple love marks on Roxanne's dark-skinned neck sometimes.   
  


⠀⠀The rest of the day went by smoothly, including the Herbology test that she had. James didn't seem to have an easy time though. She as one of the first few finished, whereas he was the last. She pitied him and wanted to wait for him after class to ask him how it went but she thought about it before doing so. It wasn't such a great idea. So when class was dismissed, Laurel almost ran out of the classroom, avoiding all eye contact with James at all, rushing away to the library again.   
  


⠀⠀James hadn't bothered to ask her anything about what had happened last night. He didn't seem to have told anyone about it either, since Asher nor Evan had given her any look of recognition to the happening in relation to her that morning. She was grateful that he had kept it between them two. Laurel didn't have the heart to tell Callen and Dominique, who would both in turn turn the whole situation into something that it really wasn't. Dominique especially. 

⠀⠀

⠀⠀Laurel pulled herself out of her thoughts as she realized she was almost halfway through the woods. There were owls hooting and other animals making their nightly noises, including the faint pounding of centaur hooves on the ground somewhere off in the distance. Laurel almost knew the Forbbiden Forest by heart. She knew it wasn't exactly following the rules to be walking around here, but she didn't care. It helped her clear her mind a lot, especially since she was left alone and she enjoyed being in the presence of nature.

⠀⠀" _Lumos Maxima_ ," she said, waving her wand. Light sprouted from the point of the wooden stick, casting a light around the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, illuminating a rough path of tree roots and dirt with miss growing from it. It was very still, since most animals were asleep. She ventured around the wild hedges, staring in awe at the huge and thick trees that seemed a thousand years old. She wondered if they ever had to cut down the trees the way Muggles did.   
  


⠀⠀Laurel loved Muggle Studies when she had been taking the class. It was amazing because Muggles were so advanced in technology and something called 'science', whereas wizards were still figuring out how to completely get rid of splinching. She was completely enlightened by it all, and didn't fail to write a full length essay to her mother thereafter. Luna framed it. 

⠀⠀She ducked beneath a few low hanging branches, pushing her way deeper and deeper into the woods when she heard a twig snap behind her. Whipping around, she almost crashed into a taller figure who happened to be wearing a red shirt.

⠀⠀Raising her wand to the person's face, she recognized the person in utter shock. What was he doing here?

⠀⠀"James?" Laurel asked as he flinched at the light. She quickly pulled it a good distance away from his eyes, however her expression didn't waver. "What are you doing here?"

⠀⠀"Er — taking a walk," James said too quickly, rubbing the back of his neck.

⠀⠀"Like I would actually believe that," Laurel deadpanned, cocking her eyebrow.

⠀⠀James seemed to be thinking about whether or not to tell her. But she already knew he was lying. "Fine. You've got me," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

⠀⠀"Why are you following me?" Laurel asked, crossing her arms. He was the last person she wanted to see.

⠀⠀"Because weird things happen in the Forbidden Forest," James said simply.

⠀⠀Laurel sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, James, I'm just going out for a walk."

⠀⠀James chuckled. "I'm going to go with no."

⠀⠀Laurel sighed dramatically and half glared at James, who was smiling victoriously. "Fine. You can come too but leave me alone."

⠀⠀James nodded happily and walked by her as she began walking. He tripped over a root and regained his balance, while Laurel stifled a laugh.

⠀⠀"You didn't see anything," James said.

⠀⠀"I saw _everything_. Besides, I don't know what you're so worried about. I practically know the Forest by heart," Laurel said, shrugging as she made her way through the thicket easily, while he was struggling, stepping over tree roots strategically.

⠀⠀"Well, anything can happen. The—the centaurs could kidnap you," James said, thinking something randomly up.

⠀⠀"They're asleep," Laurel deadpanned. "More like I would kidnap _them_ if they bothered me."

⠀⠀"You seem to know the forest pretty well. Since when did you start venturing out here?" James asked, an amused look on his face.

⠀⠀"Third year," Laurel said, simply. "I come here whenever something happens that really bothers me. It helps me clear my mind."

⠀⠀"What happened in third year that made you come here?" James asked.

⠀⠀"My grandpa passed away," Laurel said quietly. She was closer to her grandma than her grandpa but she still shared a special bond with him. Even at thirteen, death was still a new concept. It was more like death had washed over her like a shallow wave, only hitting her ankles so she could still stand. Her grandmother's news, however, was worse. She felt like she was submerged in the waves. 

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," James said quietly.

⠀⠀"There's nothing to be sorry about," Laurel said, her tone just as quiet. "I didn't really understand his death at that age. I was too young."

⠀⠀"Even at thirteen?" James asked, a little skeptical.

⠀⠀"It was before my birthday," Laurel clarified. "I was still around twelve then."

⠀⠀"Oh," James said, ducking down so he wouldn't have to be slapped on the face with a tree branch. He kept his eyes on her however. The light from her wand illuminated her face, which was expressionless. Her eyes were distant, as if she were in a different world. 

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said.

⠀⠀"So you're here to clear your mind?" James asked.

⠀⠀"Yes," Laurel said, finally looking at him. She was hoping that he wouldn't ask about what, but being the person he was, she knew he would. Besides, she was sure he already knew why.

⠀⠀"What about?" he asked, Laurel's shoulders sagging slightly as her foresight had been right.

⠀⠀Laurel casted him a look, cocking her eyebrow. "I think you know already."

⠀⠀"I do?" James asked, confused. Then he realized. " _Oh_. That. Right."

⠀⠀Laurel didn't respond as they continued to go deeper into the forest, without a care that it was still a school night and that they'd probably be exhausted tomorrow. A late night hike wasn't the greatest idea for a school night, but Laurel felt like she needed it. And James, being the idiot that he was sometimes, joined in. 

⠀⠀"Have you ever painted the Forbidden Forest?" James asked, changing the subject. He sensed that Laurel didn't exactly want to talk about what had happened last night. 

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, simply. "I skipped Divination and Ancient Runes in fifth year and came here to paint the trees instead."

⠀⠀"So you're not _that_ good in the end," James said proudly. "I'm surprised you didn't lose points for it."

⠀⠀"Well, no one noticed," Laurel said, shrugging. _I did_ , James thought. _I did_.

⠀⠀"Are you still up for sneaking out into the Quidditch pitch to learn how to fly?" James asked, a little smirk on his face.

⠀⠀"Of course!" Laurel exclaimed, whipping her head over to look at him. "I just—not yet. I'm not feeling it right now."

⠀⠀"I understand, I—bloody—!" 

⠀⠀Suddenly, James had his arms wrapped around Laurel in the most awkward of ways, and they were falling. Laurel didn't know why or how, but she was falling with him.

⠀⠀They landed on something that felt like roots, which then wrapped itself around their entangled bodies. It was too dark to see anything except the faint moonlight from above. Her hands were helpless, one firmly grasping her wand, which was unlit. Otherwise she would've been able to see. She was too panicked to when utter the lighting charm.

⠀⠀"James? What's happening?" Laurel asked, confused as the roots continued to wrap themselves around her and James.

⠀⠀"I don't know," James said, his breath tickling her neck. His hand moved around her waist, accidentally making its way under her shirt. She felt electricity flow through her body from the one touch and she didn't know why. She had only felt like that with one person ever.

⠀⠀"I forgot that you suck at Herbology," Laurel said, sighing, trying not to panic. "I think we're stuck—oh my Merlin—"

⠀⠀The vines continued to tighten themselves around their bodies the more they tried to move. Laurel hoped James wasn't suffocating under her. She was still moving around as James stopped, slowly coming into a realization.

⠀⠀"Devil's snare?" James asked, panicking as much as she was. "Just stay still! My dad—"

⠀⠀"Oh, be quiet," Laurel snapped, attempting to wriggle herself free but failing. "I don't give two damns about how your dad and aunt and uncle got through this when they were eleven!"

⠀⠀"I don't care that you don't care," James said sternly, "it might save our lives. Stop moving!"

⠀⠀"Stop _moving_?! While these vines are crawling all _over_ my body? James, have you gone mad?!" Laurel exclaimed.

⠀⠀" _You're_ the one that's gone mad, I swear to Merlin!" James exclaimed back, his arm tightening around her waist. "Just stay still!"

⠀⠀"No!" Laurel yelled back, his arm continuing to tighten around her, along with the vines. His hand was still on her skin, resting on the slope of her waist. It wasn't intentional of course, but there was something pitting in her stomach every time he moved it slightly. She could feel something bulging behind her back. It definitely wasn't the devil's snare and her cheeks were heating up.

⠀⠀"Laurel, seriously. You're going to get us killed!" James said, somewhat aware of the situation down below that was leaning against Laurel's back. " _Stop_. _Moving_."

⠀⠀Laurel finally listened, stopping herself. She could still feel the vines wrapping themselves around her, wrapping her body tighter against his. It was electrifying and, frankly, sensual, and she hated it. Why the hell was she feeling like this? The growing bump from him wasn't helping either. His hand wasn't moving except his fingers, which was still sending unnecessary jolts down her spine. His breath sent tingles down her neck every time he exhaled, making her stomach lurch and her breathing and heartbeat quicken. 

⠀⠀Suddenly, the devil's snare stopped wrapping themselves around the two of them. They began sinking, until they were tumbling further down into something else, this time something that felt like the ground of the Forbiden Forest. She was still on top of him, however his hand was no longer under her shirt. They untangled from each other, getting to their feet immediately, not sparing a glance at each other as they knew how awkward it would be, both knowing the feelings they had had before.

⠀⠀"Where are we?" James asked, looking around.

⠀⠀Laurel quickly pulled out her wand, which she thankfully had held earlier. " _Lumos_. Better now?"

⠀⠀The area was lit with the bright light. They were standing on firm ground that was covered in dirt and very short grass, a soil tunnel leading one way. She couldn't see the end of it and looked up, noticing the moving vines above her. That damned devil's snare.

⠀⠀"No," James answered honestly.

⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin. What have you done with your glasses?" Laurel asked, walking over to him and noticing that his glasses weren't on his face.

⠀⠀"I left them in my dorm," James replied, almost guiltily.

⠀⠀"Are you kidding me?" Laurel asked, unimpressed. "Whatever. Come on."

⠀⠀She grabbed his hand, her wand thrust in front of her, dragging him with her, ignoring the tingles she was getting just by holding his wrist. She didn't know how hot his face was turning.

⠀⠀They walked down the dark tunnel, which finally seemed to end as they saw a light. They began to walk faster until they were out of the tunnel, stepping onto a hard stone floor. It wasn't as dark anymore as the moonlight shines through the soiled windows, Laurel letting go of James to see exactly where they were. The exit closed behind them, disappearing altogether.

⠀⠀"This...where are we now?" James asked, looking around. There was a single queen sized bed residing on the side, a bookcase over by a door, a desk sitting next to the bookcase, and very large windows, shrouded by English ivy. Everything was covered in dust and leaves, as if the whole place had been rampaged by centaurs. Shards of broken glass was scattered across the stone floor, which Laurel then noticed had broken hard wood flooring.

⠀⠀"You're asking me?" Laurel said, shining her wand around the room. " _Scourgify_. _Reparo_."

⠀⠀The room began to clean itself around the two of them, the glass repairing itself into a vase and the bed making itself, getting rid of the dust. The light turned on, and the wooden floor underneath their feet was squeaky clean and unblemished. 

⠀⠀"So I guess you're pretty good with charms," James said, impressed at her. But when wasn't he impressed at her?

⠀⠀"You're not?" Laurel asked, surprised, walking over to the now clean window. They were in a small hut, which seemed to sit right on the edge of the woods as it overlooked Hogwarts. Well, it seemed like they were on a hill and Hogwarts was below them. How did they even get here?

⠀⠀"No," James said, shrugging as he took a seat on the bed. "Is that Hogwarts?"

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, suddenly looking for a door. She found it, padding over and opening it. There were stairs leading down the hill into a path towards Hogwarts. She didn't even know this place existed. Laurel shut the door behind her, walking over to the desk. Opening a drawer, she found some very old papers inside, words written all over them in neat cursive. The desk was plain except with a lamp and an old contraption of sorts. She dropped the papers and reached for it. It looked familiar.

⠀⠀"What's that?" James asked, leaning over.

⠀⠀"I've seen it before," Laurel said, grabbing a hold of it and yanking it open. Then she realized what it was. "It's a Polaroid."

⠀⠀"A _what_?" James asked, confused.

⠀⠀"A Polaroid. It's a Muggle camera that gives you instant photos," Laurel said, completely fascinated by it as she sat down in the desk chair. "It's a really old one too. Like a _really_ old one from the 80's."

⠀⠀"How much do you read, exactly?" James asked as she was still fascinated by the camera.

⠀⠀"I'm sure I don't read as much as your cousin Rose," Laurel said, snapping the camera close. Maybe she'd take it. It seemed like no one had been here for years.

⠀⠀"You're probably right," James said, sprawling on the bed that creaked loudly under his weight. "I don't want to move."

⠀⠀"Come on, James. We've got to go," Laurel said, trying to get him off the bed. But that was a failure as he didn't move one bit. "We have classes tomorrow."

⠀⠀"Fuck that," James said, turning over and closing his eyes, leaning on the pillow. He kicked off his shoes, pulling off his jacket.

⠀⠀"We're not staying here!" Laurel said, receiving a guttural groan from him. She sighed. "Fine, I'll leave you here."

⠀⠀"No," James said, reaching for her arm and grabbing it tiredly, "don't go. We can just stay here."

⠀⠀"That's it, I'm leaving," Laurel said, heading for the door. Then James' grip tightened around her wrist.

⠀⠀"Seriously, Laurel, you look exhausted. We can just take a nap," James said as she turned around.

⠀⠀Laurel stared at him for a long time. She _was_ exhausted. She didn't realize it until now. "Fine. But you're sleeping on the floor."

⠀⠀"No. We don't have to touch," James said sleepily. "There's two blankets. Just sleep on that side. I'm not sleeping on the floor."

⠀⠀"Fine," Laurel said, climbing over him onto the side near the wall of the bed. "I swear, if anyone finds out—"

⠀⠀"No one will. I promise. Just go to sleep," James said, giving her a blanket. She threw her jacket on the desk, pulling the blanket around her. She was suddenly very close to him. Willingly close, that is. Before when she was on top of him, she hadn't been willingly on top. She could see every mile on his neck and every hair on his head. 

⠀⠀"I think they'll still find out," Laurel said as James reached over to turn the light off. "Stuff like this spreads like wildfire." 

⠀⠀He turned back around to face her, his eyes suddenly closer than ever before, their noses barely touching. She could feel his breath on her lips and his warmth radiating through her body. This was so wrong; sleeping next to him when he was nothing more than just a friend. _But it felt so right_.

⠀⠀"They won't," James said with a certainty that Laurel automatically doubted. They were all definitely going to find out. It was inevitable.

⠀⠀"Don't you think this is...wrong? Since we're nothing more than just friends?" Laurel asked quietly. She was questioning everything about her feelings towards him now. Had she suddenly given up on giving up on love?

⠀⠀"We're best friends," James said, chuckling. "I thought we had that established."

⠀⠀"When did we have that established?" Laurel asked, confused. "And even so, best friends don't sleep on the same bed together. Not like this. Not when they're the opposite sex and straight."

⠀⠀"Stop overanalyzing this, Laurel," James said tiredly. "This is a lot less than you're thinking it is."

⠀⠀"Probably," Laurel said resignedly. "You still didn't answer my question."

⠀⠀"Which?"

⠀⠀"When did we become best friends?" she asked.

⠀⠀James didn't answer for a moment. It was just his eyes staring into hers, the faint moonlight illuminating everything in the room except his face.

⠀⠀"Last night," James said. "When you cried."

⠀⠀Laurel was taken aback, bolting up and sitting up, glaring at him. "So when you see someone cry, like literally anyone, they become your best friend? You must be so shallow."

⠀⠀"No," James said, chuckling. "I meant it was that you sort of chose to show me that side of you. You didn't have to but you did. That's why you're my best friend now."

⠀⠀"I don't want to talk about last night," Laurel said, falling back down on her back to face the ceiling, sighing and closing her eyes.

⠀⠀"Well, I want to talk about it," James said.

⠀⠀"What is there to talk about?" Laurel snapped, turning toward him. "I cried. You were there. That's all."

⠀⠀"I know you want to talk about it," James sighed, his face still close to hers. "You know you can't keep anything locked up inside of you for long."

⠀⠀"Well, this I can," Laurel fought back, lying through her teeth. "James, I don't want to talk about this."

⠀⠀"You're going to have to," James said passively. "I know you hate keeping things locked up inside of you."

⠀⠀Laurel stared at him for a moment longer, a quiet fury in her eyes, which disappeared as she closed them, sighing as she turned around and faced the ceiling again. "I do. I do hate keeping things inside of me."

⠀⠀"I told you," James said quietly.

⠀⠀"Shut up, Potter, you didn't tell me anything," Laurel said as she smacked James lightly, causing him to chuckle, his breath on her face. "Look, if you want to know why I didn't talk to you all day, it's because I hated the fact that I let you see that side of me. I was scared that you would look at me differently or that you'd pity me. I didn't want your pity."

⠀⠀James stared at her, speechless for a moment. "Well, look at where that side has led us."

⠀⠀"What? Ending up on the same bed?" Laurel asked. "Which I'm sure has nothing to do with me crying."

⠀⠀James laughed, more whiffs of air hitting her face. "Better now?"

⠀⠀"Now that I told you?" Laurel asked. He nodded. "I suppose so."

⠀⠀"What did I say? I told you you wouldn't be able to keep it in you for long," James said, poking her shoulder.

⠀⠀"Congratulations, you win, James Sirius Potter," Laurel said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀"Always," James said sleepily.

⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes. "Since we're on the topic of crying, when am I going to see you crying?"

⠀⠀"If we lose a Quidditch match then maybe," James replied, moving his face closer to hers, his eyes closed.

⠀⠀Laurel laughed, pausing before asking her second question. "Have you cried over anyone before?"

⠀⠀But he had already seemingly passed out, her question hanging in the air. She could feel his even breaths on her face and hear his light snores just by her ears. They were close enough to kiss.

⠀⠀Laurel closed her eyes, turning away from him to face away from him just as he opened his eyes. He wanted to turn her back around and kiss her. He had been so close to it before. He wanted to wrap his arms around her waist as they slept, his legs under hers, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. He wanted to be close enough to smell her golden hair and feel her skin under his chin. He wanted her.

⠀⠀Before, he tried to gain balance from falling by holding onto her. But then he realized as they were both falling that it wouldn't work since she was so much lighter. And when his hand somehow ended up under her shirt, resting on the soft skin of her waist, he couldn't hold himself together. Not inside his brain of course. He had a feeling she felt something too, the jolts of electricity that he always felt just by looking at her. 

⠀⠀Staring at her golden locks splayed out on the pillow, he began to drift off to sleep. Right as he was about to close his eyes he answered her question in his mind. He would never said to say it out loud.

⠀⠀ _Yes_ , he thought, staring at her sleeping face. _I cried over you_.


	7. IMPOSSIBLE

**SHE WOKE UP WITH A START**. Looking around, propping herself up on her elbow, she found herself next to James. Absurdly close to James. At first, she hadn't a clue as to where she was. Then everything from last night came rushing into her mind like a crashing wave. Casting a glance to the window, she noticed that the sun was just rising, the orange glow of the sun just at the bottom of the sky. She thanked Merlin they hadn't slept so late. James was still snoring.

  
⠀⠀"James," she said gently, poking his cheek. "James, wake up."

⠀⠀His eyes opened with no elegance to them as he blinked multiple times as if something was in his eye. "Is it morning?" he asked groggily, groaning as he turned over. He was still slightly shocked that he had slept next to her last night; it was something he had only dreamed of long ago. How far had they come?

⠀⠀"Yeah, we'd better get going," Laurel replied, pulling off the blankets and crawling over James, getting off the bed as he sat up. "Before anyone notices."

⠀⠀"You think the Fat Lady'll let us in?" James asked as he watched Laurel tie the laces of her boots, her messy blonde bed hair falling over her face. "She might still be asleep."

⠀⠀"Well then we'll wake her up," Laurel said as if doing that was simple. "Or sleep in the hallway until she does."

⠀⠀"Like _that_ isn't suspicious," James said, swinging his legs over the bed and putting on his shoes, attempting to fix his hair, which was sticking up in all possible directions. Laurel got up and pulled on her jacket, tossing James' jacket at him and grabbing the Polaroid camera off the desk. She stuffed her wand in her jacket pocket and stood by the door, waiting for James. He was done in a jiffy and they both hurried out the door, following the path down the steps and towards Hogwarts. The door to the little hut seemed to lock itself.

⠀⠀As they continued down the path, the hut seemed to fade away. Maybe that's why you couldn't see it from Hogwarts. It was hidden by some strong magic that James and Laurel had managed to get past. 

⠀⠀"What time do you think it is?" James asked, looking up at the sky.

⠀⠀Laurel looked up too. "Probably around 5am?"

⠀⠀"Maybe," James said, shrugging.

⠀⠀The path ended in front of the Forbidden Forest, forcing them to make their way in in order to get back to the castle. So they continued their long trek through it, but James wasn't having it.

⠀⠀"Are we out of the woods yet?" James asked tiredly.

⠀⠀"Stop quoting Taylor Swift," Laurel said, grabbing his cloth covered arm and dragging him through the forest.

⠀⠀"Who's Taylor Swift?" James asked, confused.

⠀⠀"You don't know who that is?" Laurel asked, shooting him a look of disbelief. "Rose never told you about her?"

⠀⠀All James did was shake his head in response, shrugging. Laurel's fingers were still wrapped around his wrist.

⠀⠀"Well, she's an American Muggle singer, who happened to produce and write a song called ' _Out Of The Woods_ '," Laurel explained. "You just quoted a lyric. Not like you care anyway."

⠀⠀"Right. I don't genuinely care," James said, nodding. Laurel rolled her eyes and didn't say anything, finally letting him go.   
  
  


⠀⠀They continued their path towards the castle grounds in comfortable silence, both stuck in their own thoughts and realization that they had slept with each other, platonically if that was even possible.

⠀⠀After twenty minutes of hiking, they finally made it back to Hogwarts, which they entered quickly, running all the way to the Gryffindor Tower as quietly as possible. The Fat Lady _was_ asleep. Everything was dark too. 

⠀⠀" _Lumos_ ," Laurel said, lighting up the dark corridor with only the Fat Lady as a painting. She quickly woke up, startled by the light, telling Laurel to put it out annoyedly.

⠀⠀"Not until you let us in," James said sternly.

⠀⠀"Fine," the Fat Lady said, rolling her tired eyes. "What's the password then, Mr Potter?"

⠀⠀" _Helianthus_ ," Laurel said in one breath. The Fat Lady grunted haughtily in acknowledgment.

⠀⠀"I thought it was ' _Goldenberg_ '?" James said, smirking. "I guess you got over him, Fat Lady?"

⠀⠀"Goldenberg was her maiden name, you dumbarse," Laurel said, rolling her eyes as the Fat Lady opened, letting them into the portrait hole. The Fat Lady didn't comment as she closed, falling back asleep almost immediately.

⠀⠀" _Lovely_. And how would you have come by that fact?" James asked.

⠀⠀"Isn't it obvious?" Laurel asked, incredulously. "I asked."

⠀⠀"Of course you did," James muttered, rolling his eyes with a slight smile on his face.   
  


⠀⠀The common room was empty and dark, with only the early morning light pouring in through the stain-glassed windows. They headed towards the two doorways leading to the dormitories, parting their ways.

⠀⠀"I'll see you later on then," James said, standing at the bottom of the girls' dormitory staircase as he couldn't go up or else the stairs would turn into a slide.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, nodding. "Goodbye."

⠀⠀James nodded, watching Laurel head upstairs quietly. As soon as she was out of sight he did the same, heading to his bed, almost immediately falling asleep.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**HER ALARM RANG LOUDLY**. She sat up groggily, almost smacking her forehead into Callen's.

⠀⠀"Where were you last night?" Callen asked, her dark eyes filled with worry and relief at the same time as she reached over to turn the alarm off.

⠀⠀Dominique walked out of the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. "Don't tell us you were fucking someone."

⠀⠀"Don't be _daft_!" Laurel exclaimed, feeling her face turn a bit red. "I told you two I went out for a walk."

⠀⠀"We waited up for you for about an hour and you didn't come back," Callen said. "Then you come back with that." She pointed at the Polaroid camera sitting on Laurel's nightstand. "Don't tell us you went on a treasure hunt for Muggle instant cameras."

⠀⠀"Okay," Laurel said, calmly. "I was walking through the woods. You both know it helps clear my mind. Then James joined me. Out of nowhere, really. He tripped on something and we both fell on devil's snare—"

⠀⠀" _Devil's snare?_ " Dominique and Callen asked in horror and unison.

⠀⠀"How did you survive that?" Dominique asked, her eyes growing.

⠀⠀"How did your aunt and uncles survive that when they were eleven?" Laurel questioned, throwing Dominique a knowing look.

⠀⠀"True," Dominique said, continuing to brush her teeth.

⠀⠀"How did you get out and where did you get that camera from?" Callen pressed.

⠀⠀"James and I made it out of the devil's snare together by staying still and we found this tunnel under it that led to this hut. That's where the camera's from," Laurel said, leaving out the part that she and James had slept together.

⠀⠀"And then you came back?" Callen asked, her eyes skeptical.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, climbing out of bed, Callen right behind her.

⠀⠀"What was in the hut?" Dominique asked as the two girls joined her in the bathroom.

⠀⠀"Well, I had to clean it up and repair it because it was all broken. But there was a bed, a desk, windows, a bookcase," Laurel replied, brushing out her hair.

⠀⠀"We waited until around twelve thirty in the morning for you, Laurel," Callen said, her expression of worry still not gone. "You couldn't have been gone that long. You left at around eleven thirty."

⠀⠀Laurel figured then that there was no holding back from them. They _were_ her best friends after all.

⠀⠀"Well..." she trailed off.

⠀⠀"Well, what?" Dominique asked, turning to her, her mouth full of toothpaste. "Did you actually go and have sex? With _James_?"

⠀⠀"No!" Laurel exclaimed, rolling her eyes as Callen snorted. "We just...we sort of took a nap. On the bed."

⠀⠀Callen dropped her mascara wand while Dominique spat out her toothpaste from her mouth. " _Together_?" they asked in unison, both boring their eyes into poor Laurel's head.

⠀⠀" _Yes_ ," Laurel said. "Look, we weren't _touching_ or anything. He refused to sleep on the floor even though I asked him to. Merlin, don't be daft, you two, it was all platonic."

⠀⠀" _Platonic?_ There's nothing _platonic_ about sharing a bed," Callen said, picking bed mascara wand back up from where she had dropped it in the sink. "Especially now that you and James are almost seventeen."

⠀⠀"We did that," Dominque said to Callen calmly. "We did that over the summer because your brother decided to blow up my bed in the guest room."

⠀⠀"That was a special case, Dom," Callen said haughtily. "You didn't have a choice. I wouldn't let you sleep on the floor. James, on the other hand, _refused_ to sleep on the floor."

⠀⠀"You mean that James _chose_ to nap with Laurel?" Dominique asked, after rinsing her mouth with water.

⠀⠀"Yes. Precisely," Callen replied.

⠀⠀"I'm supposing that you're also concluding that James fancies Laurel," Dominique said in realization as she sat on the toilet lid.

⠀⠀"I'm sure he doesn't," Laurel cut in. "He's just a friend. _Best_ friend."

⠀⠀"Look at you," Dominique said, amused, "friend-zoning him already."

⠀⠀"I think she's been doing that," Callen said, chuckling as she left the bathroom. Laurel looked at her, confused, but shrugged, continuing to get ready for class.

⠀⠀"Do you like him?" Dominique asked out of nowhere. She didn't ask anything except those four words.

⠀⠀Laurel hesitated, hoping nothing readable crossed her face. She put her hairbrush down as Dominique got up from the toilet lid she was sitting on.

⠀⠀"No," Laurel said, her voice slightly uneven. "I don't like James."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**"YOU DID** ** _WHAT?_** **"** Evan asked, dropping his scarlet and gold tie on the floor.

⠀⠀"I took a nap," James deadpanned, stuffing his books into his bag, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

⠀⠀" _Obviously_ ," Asher said, rolling his eyes as he pulled on his pants. "It's who you slept with that's driving Evan crazy."

⠀⠀"And it's driving me fucking crazy too!" James exclaimed, flinging his arms upward. "What if she doesn't talk to me anymore? What if she thinks there's nothing more than a bloody friendship, whereas I'm here, thinking the _complete_ opposite?"

⠀⠀"She probably does think the total opposite," Asher said, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

⠀⠀" _Not_ helping, Ash," Evan said, tossing a pillow at him, tying his tie around his neck. Asher threw it back, which Evan dodged narrowly. "Look, mate, just focus on classes today. Don't worry about her. We have a Herbology test to ace."

⠀⠀"You're right, you're right," James mused, nodding in realization as he swung his bag over his shoulder, following Asher out of the dormitory.

⠀⠀"I honestly think you like her too much," Evan said as they headed out of the portrait hole.

⠀⠀Before James could respond, a loud piercing voice hit his ears. "There he is! He was with the Scamander girl last night!"

⠀⠀It was the Fat Lady.

⠀⠀James cursed under his breath, casting a glance around the people grouped in front of the Fat Lady. They all stared at him and although James couldn't see them, he could feel the weight of their stares on his back. He was used to attention, but not like this.

⠀⠀"What are all you lazy sods looking at?" Asher flung at them coldly. "Get on with it now. Don't hang about. There's nothing to look at."

⠀⠀They all cast one more look at the three boys and continued on their way, whispering to their friends. Evan and Asher grabbed James and pulled him away before anyone else could say anything. They hurried off to the Great Hall, finding the three girls chatting happily as they ate their toast. James stopped immediately as he caught sight of Laurel, who was laughing at one of Dominique's extravagant exaggerated stories.

⠀⠀"Merlin's fucking beard, what the hell is wrong now?" Evan asked annoyedly.

⠀⠀James didn't say a word as he froze up, staring at her. He didn't know why he was so scared of her. Where had all his confidence gone?

⠀⠀"Sorry," he muttered, shaking his head and walking into the Great Hall without further explanation. Evan and Asher threw each other a look, shrugging and then followed their friend to the table the three girls were sitting at.   
  


⠀⠀James didn't take his usual seat next to Laurel. He felt everyone's eyes in the Great Hall on him, as if they all knew what had happened last night. _But they didn't_ , he reminded himself. _They couldn't._

⠀⠀He glared through his glasses as a blonde haired boy shifted over, a yellow and black tie tied around his neck. _Oh_ , James recalled. It was Adam Corner. He was annoying. _Hufflepuffs aren't annoying_ , James thought. It was just that kid. Even his older sister was better. _Much_ better. At least that's how she was when he dated her for a month back in fourth year.

⠀⠀James looked at his friends and found them all glaring at Corner. Laurel didn't notice though. She was too busy reading her book and stirring her hot chocolate to notice. 

⠀⠀"What's the matter, Corner?" Dominique asked coldly.

⠀⠀"Oh nothing, Weasley," Adam said, eyeing James and Laurel. "Just wondering if it _actually_ happened."

⠀⠀"If _what_ actually happened?" Callen asked, her voice as cold as her glare. Her voice was rarely ever cold.

⠀⠀"If them two," Adam said, pointing his finger towards James and Laurel, " _actually_ happened." Now Laurel was paying attention, her expression slightly confused rather than glaring.

⠀⠀" _No_ ," they all said unanimously, all in a tone as if Adam was stupid. _He was._

⠀⠀Adam's annoying smirk was almost immediately wiped off his face. James was sure that Adam realized then to not mess with them. For a second, a small smile flashed across his face as he realized how much he really appreciated his friends.  
  


⠀⠀"Oh," Adam said. " _Right_." Then he slid back over to his seat before, not daring to look their way. Laurel was still staring at him with a puzzled expression, while everyone else threw each other a look, all raising their eyebrows, then shrugging it off.   
  


⠀⠀Breakfast continued peacefully for the most part except the stares and murmurs that would ensue when students passed by their group. They all ignored it, continuing to eat and enjoying each other's presence.

⠀⠀Soon, breakfast was over and they all parted, heading to their classes. Laurel was about to head off to Astronomy with Callen and Evan when James pulled her back, pulling her into an empty corridor, receiving looks from the few passing students. It seemed like everyone knew. Laurel was simply not aware of the other students' stares. James, on the other hand, was completely aware. 

⠀⠀"What's the matter, James?" Laurel asked as they continued down the hallway. They arrived in an empty classroom, which James quickly pushed her inside and shut the door behind him. He quickly cast a Silencing Charm around the room with a wave of his wand then turned back to a puzzled Laurel.

⠀⠀"I needed to talk to you," James finally said. "In private."

⠀⠀"Well, we're in private now," Laurel said, chuckling a little.

⠀⠀"You know how we...happened to fall asleep together? Last night?" James asked, fidgeting with the flap of his school bag.

⠀⠀" _Happened_ to? You gave me no choice," Laurel said, slightly annoyed as she replayed the events from last night in her mind.

⠀⠀"Okay, hear me out, I was _really_ tired. You are quite hard to keep from thrashing about," James said, just as annoyed. "Besides, that's not what I was talking about."

⠀⠀"Then go on, spit it out. I don't have all day," Laurel said, growing impatient. She didn't want to be late to class.

⠀⠀"I was just worried that you might've been mad at me for dragging you...this sounds odd, but, dragging you into bed with me?" James asked, wincing a little at his own words.

⠀⠀Laurel's face was almost unreadable. It was a mix of amusement and slight disappointment. James didn't know where the disappointment was coming from.

⠀⠀"I'm not mad," Laurel chuckled after staring at him for awhile with her blue eyes that always hit him like a train. The disappointment in her eyes was gone. "Just slightly annoyed."

⠀⠀"Annoyed?" James asked for clarification.

⠀⠀" _Annoyed_. You wouldn't sleep on the floor. Anyway, I think we should stay away from each other until the rumors die off," Laurel suggested, shifting awkwardly on her feet. Laurel was never awkward.

⠀⠀"Stay...away?" James asked, his voice uneven. The disappointment and confusion was unmistakable in not only his voice, but his dark brown eyes. Laurel forced herself not to be shaken by it. Even as oblivious as she was, she noticed every painful movement he was making in his body. His hands seemed to be shaking slightly.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, her tone not changing. "People won't be as...annoying, I suppose."

⠀⠀"Oh," James said. He couldn't hide his disappointment. "It's okay."

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said, her chest tightening slightly. The tension in the room was growing and Laurel could feel her face heat up in anxiety. "Well — er — I'll be going to class now."

⠀⠀"Oh, right, yeah. I won't keep you," James said, forcing a grin. He had never felt so disappointed in his life. It was like the suggestion had hit him like a punch in the throat and he couldn't breathe. 

⠀⠀Laurel smiled back ruefully and opened the door, rushing away. She could feel James' eyes on her back, full of the disappointment she knew she had caused. She didn't know why he was so disappointed. She didn't even know why _she_ was disappointed.

⠀⠀She turned down another empty corridor, stopping in it, leaning back on the cool wall. He probably hated her. She couldn't get his disappointed face out of her mind. She closed her eyes in hopes of getting it away but it grew even more vividly in her eyes.

⠀⠀Laurel's heart was beating dangerously fast; her breaths were coming out in gasps and her mind was racing. Her face felt cold in the air of the corridor. She didn't know why she was feeling so anxious, or why it felt so tense in there. She never knew when she began feeling so tense around James Potter. And she didn't like it.

⠀⠀Running a hand through her hair, she slid down the wall, falling to the ground, staring at the opposite wall. The floor was cold against her legs, but she could hardly feel it as her mind was far too occupied with other things to register the chill of the stone floor. 

⠀⠀What had she expected of him? Did she expect him to kiss her? Part of her wanted him to. She didn't know why. She refused to believe that she could be developing feelings for him. The last time she had done that, it didn't end well.

⠀⠀But James was different from Liam. James was charming, respectful, and although sometimes a total git, he was polite. James wasn't clingy or overprotective. Or at least, if they ever dated, Laurel had a feeling he wouldn't be. But they would never date. Laurel and James? _Impossible_.

⠀⠀James was the son of a celebrity. His every move would be monitored as he grew older. Laurel didn't know if she could face that. She didn't know if she could sacrifice her privacy for him. She didn't even know if she _liked_ him like that.  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel shook her head at herself, shaking the thought away. She couldn't like him. Her first love hadn't ended well. She didn't want to repeat history. People who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it. 

⠀⠀Laurel got back up, heading for class, thinking up some explanation to her professor as to why she was late. Maybe class would help her clear off her mind about everything. 

⠀⠀Walking down the corridor, she couldn't help but wonder what James was thinking. He hated her, didn't he? That was for sure.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**THEY SPENT THE DAY AWAY** from each other. Laurel needed to be away from him. Too much of a good thing could become a terrible thing. She needed time to think. To think about him.   
  


⠀⠀James got over himself. He figured if she wanted to be away from him for awhile, she could. At first, he thought that maybe she just ignored him on purpose, but then he gave up on that theory. After all, the whole bed thing might've been quite a shock to her as much as it was to him. But it really didn't seem that way with her. She seemed so passive about it. He really did miss talking to her in Ancient Runes though.

⠀⠀Part of him was still a little flabbergasted and a tad angry at her. It seemed like she didn't care what people thought, but if she really hadn't, why would she have suggested they stay away from each other? He didn't know why he felt angry, but he didn't like the feeling of it, his muscles contracting into a tiring frown every so often and his breathing coming out unevenly.

⠀⠀But whether he wanted to admit it or not, James did know one thing: he still really liked Laurel.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀When Herbology class approached, where Professor Longbottom had assigned seats, Laurel couldn't help but dread it. She would have to talk to James simply because he sat next to her. Laurel was also determined though. She wanted to ask Professor Longbottom about the devil's snare in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Maybe she would need James for this.

⠀⠀Laurel sat down in her chair, pulling out her notebook to being scribbling down the notes, trying not to peek in the corner of her eye for James to arrive. He finally did and she pretended not to notice, keeping her face nonchalant as she began doodling on the corner of her page. A face began forming and she couldn't stop herself. A jawline was drawn from her black pen, glasses, big brown eyes, untidy jet black hair...  
  
  


⠀⠀Then she stopped herself. She stared at the drawing for a good minute until she reached for the paper and ripped off the corner, stuffing it into her robe pocket. Why was she drawing him? And when did her subconscious start fantasizing about James Potter, let alone stay there long enough for her to put it onto paper?

⠀⠀She glanced sideways, trying to see if James had seen it. He seemed more focused on the lesson than on her and she heaved a relieved sigh. Merlin, she couldn't imagine how he would've reacted if he had seen it.

⠀⠀Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she took her mind off of the boy sitting next to her. She focused on the words Professor Longbottom was saying, finally getting her mind off of James.

⠀⠀James, glancing down at her robe pocket, however, had seen it all.   
  
  


⠀⠀Class ended as Professor Longbottom dismissed the students. However, he called to Laurel and James to stay back, since he needed to talk to them about something. Their classmates giggled at them, all knowing the rumor or at least some fragment to it, both of them ignoring the giggles.

⠀⠀Once the classroom was empty, Laurel and James walked up to Professor Longbottom's desk, standing awkwardly side by side. Professor Longbottom quickly made a flick with his wand towards the door, which closed with a soft click. 

⠀⠀"So I heard you two fell into devil's snare last night?" he asked calmly.

⠀⠀"Yes," James and Laurel said in unison.

⠀⠀"Please don't tell me you're going to take points off of Gryffindor for that," James begged. "You know my mum, sir, she's not going to be happy with it."

⠀⠀"It was after curfew, Mr Potter," Professor Longbottom said nonchalantly, sitting on the edge of his desk, playing with his sunflower plant that his wife, Hannah Longbottom, had mailed to him. "Students aren't allowed to be out on the castle grounds after ten o'clock at night, unless it's for detention purposes. Especially not the Forbidden Forest."

⠀⠀"Do you know anything about the devil's snare lurking around the Forbidden Forest, professor?" Laurel asked, completely disregarding the conversation between the two just now.

⠀⠀"Yes," Professor Longbottom said, placing his plant down. "It was me."

⠀⠀" _Professor!_ " Laurel and James exclaimed, both annoyed at the realization.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," Professor Longbottom apologized, a hint of a smile on his face. He had practically watched both children grow up. "That's why I'm not taking any points off. It was my fault for leaving it there instead of eradicating it like McGonagall had requested. I just completely forgot."

⠀⠀"Don't tell me you stared at your Rememberall for an hour and still didn't remember any of what you had forgotten, sir," James said haughtily.

⠀⠀"That's exactly what happened," Professor Longbottom said, chuckling as Laurel and James rolled their eyes. "Then when I heard from the Fat Lady that you both had fallen into devil's snare and somehow miraculously gotten out, I remembered that I had forgotten to get rid of it."

⠀⠀"And now, there are rumors flying around this school about us because you had forgotten, professor!" James exclaimed annoyedly. If it weren't for those rumors, maybe Laurel would actually talk to him without the fear of being made fun of for something they didn't do.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," Professor Longbotom said, "truly."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "It's alright, professor. It's really the Fat Lady's fault. She's only bitter because we had woken her up from her... _beauty_ sleep."

⠀⠀"As if she couldn't get any more or less beautiful than she already is," James commented, letting out a dry laugh.

⠀⠀"Don't be so rude," Laurel said, rolling her eyes. She then realized this was a first since she told him that they should stay away from each other.

⠀⠀"She's a painting for Merlin's sake," James argued back. Laurel made a face as she saw reason in his argument.

⠀⠀"Anyway," Professor Longbottom said, glancing at the two, "I'm glad you two are safe and sound and not hurt. I'm also glad that I don't have to write two letters explaining to both of your mothers, who also happen to be my best friends, as to why their children are milling around the castle grounds at the crack of dawn."

⠀⠀James and Laurel exchanged a mutual look before smiling and turning back to Professor Longbottom.

⠀⠀"I'll see you later," Professor Longbottom said, signaling for them to leave as he waved his hand towards he door, which opened with a click. "Don't get into trouble,  
you two. Especially you, James."

⠀⠀"Yes, sir," James said, cracking a grin at the teacher, making a salute towards him. Neville just shook his head amusedly as James and Laurel walked out of the classroom, heading towards the library to tutor Lavanya and Castor. Their usual energetic conversation was replaced with dead silence, their footsteps echoing through the marble hallways being the only sound heard.   
  
  


⠀⠀They quickly found the two first year Hufflepuffs in their spots from the last time they had tutored, taking their places next to them. James and Laurel drifted away from each other, both sliding further away from each other on their seats at the table.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀"Hey, Lavanya," Laurel said happily, smiling at the little girl. "Anything specific you need help with today?"

⠀⠀"Yes. I need help with the Rictumsempra Charm," Lavanya said. Then a mischievous smile came to her face. "Hold on, are you and James _actually_ together?"

⠀⠀"No," Laurel said, tired of the question altogether.

⠀⠀"Not even the slightest chance?" Lavanya pressed.

⠀⠀"No," Laurel said, shaking her head as she glanced over at James who was engrossed in teaching Castor something. Or at least pretending to be. "Impossible."


	8. SUFFOCATING

**"YOU TOLD HIM THAT?"** Dominique asked incredulously. "You never tell James Sirius Potter what to do."

⠀⠀"He agreed," Laurel shrugged. They were walking towards the Gryffindor Tower after a long study session in the library with just them girls.

⠀⠀"I think he likes you," Callen said thoughtfully. "Did he seem disappointed or anything?"

⠀⠀"Laurel is the most oblivious person we've ever met, Cal. You think she'd notice?" Dominique asked, causing Laurel to laugh.

⠀⠀"Well _maybe_ this is something she actually took notice in," Callen said indignantly.

⠀⠀"I did," Laurel said after laughing, Callen made a triumphant expression at Dominique, who merely gaped at Laurel.

⠀⠀"Well?" Dominique asked after she closed her mouth.

⠀⠀"He looked disappointed," Laurel said simply. "I sort of felt bad. I mean, I didn't mean it in any harmful way or anything. He looked very...sad. But he agreed with me."

⠀⠀Callen and Dominique didn't respond as they both shared a look, all three arriving in front of the Fat Lady.

⠀⠀"Satisfied now, aren't you?" Laurel asked the Fat Lady with a sarcastic smile.

⠀⠀She didn't respond as she looked away, opening the door for them even though they hadn't said the password. Maybe she felt bad.

⠀⠀"Look," Callen said as they walked through the portrait hole, "I really think he likes—"

⠀⠀She stopped abruptly as Dominique elbowed her, shooting a glance at the area in front of the fireplace in the common room. James, Evan, and Asher were congregated there, all except James glancing up as they saw the girls. Laurel didn't look their way as she quickly headed for the dormitory stairs, Dominique chasing after her in a blur of black robes and bright red hair. Callen quickly muttered something to Evan and gave his hand a warm squeeze before quickly heading back upstairs with her friends. 

⠀⠀Laurel dumped her bag on her bed, falling into it, staring into space moodily as Dominique and Callen stared at her from their beds.

⠀⠀"He likes you," Callen said, finally finishing the sentence that had been cut off before.

⠀⠀Laurel finally dropped her moody gaze into space to her hands, sighing heavily. "I hope you're wrong."

⠀⠀Dominique and Callen shared a glance before both plopping down onto Laurel's bed next to her.

⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Dominique asked. "I understand if you don't like him back but you wouldn't look like this if you really didn't."

⠀⠀"You know what _actually_ happened?" Laurel asked, finally looking at the both of them, both nodding. "So he really needed to talk to me before I went off with you," she motioned at Callen, "and Evan to class so he pulled me away and we found a classroom. And he just asked me if I was mad at him for sleeping together, which I clearly wasn't. And after that I told him we should stay away from each other.

⠀⠀"I ran away afterwards. I didn't know how to cope with his disappointment and I was _suffocating_ in that room. _I_ felt disappointed. And I didn't even know why. I still don't. I felt like I expected something more from him, like he was going to say more but he held it back. And then I was let down."

⠀⠀"You mean like, for example, you expected him to kiss you but he didn't?" Callen asked gently.

⠀⠀Laurel nodded, her gaze dropping back to her hands. "So I honestly don't know if I like him or not. And you know what's even worse?"

⠀⠀"What?" the two of them asked.

⠀⠀"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I feel like I–I still like Liam. After all of that—"

⠀⠀" _No_ ," Dominique and Callen both said, waving their hands animatedly.

⠀⠀"You can't fucking _like_ him," Dominique said, shaking her head. "No way. After what he did to you? I'm not allowing this."

⠀⠀"Let's _not_ talk about that git," Callen said in a calculated tone. "Your relationship with him is over. It has been and that's how it'll stay. We're not going to let you near him after what he did to you."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled at them, gripping both of their hands and giving them a warm squeeze. Maybe if romantic love didn't work for her, at least her love for her friends always lasted.

⠀⠀She always forced herself to hate Liam. She had all the right to it. But part of her hated _hating_ , especially since the other person was also human. He made mistakes. Perhaps what he had done wasn't so human. She didn't know if she could forgive him and she didn't want to think about it now.

⠀⠀Laurel pushed Liam's bright blue eyes away from her mind, only to have them replaced by James' chocolate brown ones.

⠀⠀At that moment, she didn't know if she should curse James Potter or think about him the way she used to about Liam.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**JAMES STARED UP AT** the canopy of his four-poster bed, while Asher and Evan were making their usual level of noise, after having a bit too much smuggled Firewhiskey, standing on their beds and hitting their heads on the scarlet canopies, finally sitting down afterwards. There were two more empty beds, five in total, where the two other Gryffindor boys were out doing their own thing, leaving the trio to ruin the dormitory. 

⠀⠀"Will you ever admit how much you like her?" Asher asked Evan, rubbing the spot on his head where he has banged it on the bed post.

⠀⠀" _Like?_ " Evan asked incredulously, putting his small bottle of Firewhiskey down. "I fucking _love_ Callen. 'Like' is an understatement."

⠀⠀"How bloody _romantic!_ " Asher exclaimed sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I'm never going for a relationship to be quite honest."

⠀⠀"Don't you have a thing for my cousin?" James asked, sitting up, putting his quarter way finished Firewhiskey bottle on his nightstand. He wasn't really a fan of drinking.

⠀⠀"Not that she has a thing for me," Asher said resignedly, staring at the bottle in his hand. "It seems like Evan's the only one who has a lasting relationship."

⠀⠀"Your time will come, mate. Maybe Dom isn't the one for you. I mean, James _did_ have something going," Evan said, shrugging. "Laurel just unconsciously ruined it."

⠀⠀James chuckled dryly. "Thank you for the reminder, _best_ friend," he said, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "I truly needed it."

⠀⠀"You know, James," Evan said, sitting up, a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans in his hand, "if you weren't such an arsehole back then maybe she would've noticed you sooner."

⠀⠀James flushed slightly. "Shut up, Evan, there's no need to point out the obvious."

⠀⠀"I'm just telling you what you could've done," Evan said, rolling his eyes.

⠀⠀"It's not like he can change it anyway," Asher said, sighing. "Maybe you should just talk to her."

⠀⠀" _Talk_ to her? She's fucking _avoiding_ me, Ash!" James said, not realizing he had raised his voice at his best friend until Evan and Asher stared at him, their eyes wide. He rarely ever lashed out like that. "Sorry, I just–I _hate_ that feeling I get when I think about her. Half of me starts _suffocating_ and my brain feels like it's going to fucking implode, I feel like I can't move...and then the other half of me is marveling at her, taking her all in and then it's too much for me to bear...know what I mean?" He looked up at his two friends.

⠀⠀Evan chuckled, tossing a bean in his mouth and making a disgusted face, gagging. "I know exactly what you mean, my friend. _Fuck_ —this bean is horrible."

⠀⠀"What did you get?" Asher asked.

⠀⠀"Bloody goat liver," Evan gagged.

⠀⠀" _Oh_. Yelch," Asher said, shaking his head and turning back to James. "He seems to know exactly what you mean. I have no idea what you mean. I never liked Dominique _that_ much."

⠀⠀James chuckled as he rolled his eyes at his gagging melodramatic friend. "Oh, get the fuck over yourself, Wood."

⠀⠀"It tastes terrible!" Evan exclaimed.

⠀⠀" _Anyway_ ," James said, turning to Asher, "my _dear_ cousin honestly doesn't deserve you."

⠀⠀"But _you_ obviously like Laurel _a lot_ ," Asher said, a smirk on his face.

⠀⠀"If you say so," James said, shrugging, leaning back on his pillow. Maybe he was finally coming to terms with it.

⠀⠀"If _I_ say so?" Asher asked incredulously, shaking his head. "No. It's _you_ that needs to sort this little heart problem out."

⠀⠀"But I can't! I can't face her. I feel like I can't... _breathe_ when I see her," James argued. "But I also want to talk to her. I want to see her. I want to be near her. _Fuck_ , I don't even know what's wrong with me anymore."

⠀⠀"Mate," Evan said, finally not gagging, "I know what's wrong with you."

⠀⠀"What?" James asked. But he felt like he already knew the answer.

⠀⠀Evan smiled knowingly at James, taking a swig from his bottle of Firewhiskey. 

⠀⠀"You're fucking in love."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**LAUREL HAD FINALLY GOTTEN** around to writing a letter to her mother. Luna had mailed her countless letters over the past few weeks since the incident with James and Laurel felt terrible for only finding time to write one back.

⠀⠀Luna had informed her that Rolf found out about her grandmother's condition and was furious at Cressida for not telling him. Luna had explained to Laurel that Rolf had destroyed half of the greenhouse in anger, not at his mother anymore but more in the fact that she was incurable. The greenhouse was slowly being repaired by the both of them, along with a little help from Ginny. Laurel's heart couldn't help but break into a million pieces. Her father really loved her grandmother. 

⠀⠀She seated herself in one of the quieter corners of the library, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag, beginning to write. Her mother, like her grandmother, was her confidante and Laurel could tell Luna anything without a fear of being judged. Laurel wasn't aware of it, but she had gained her mother's open mind, to accept what was reasonable without judgement for the other person, and to not accept what wasn't truly reasonable. The twins were like their father, a bit hard-headed and always trying to prove their masculinity. Not like Luna or Laurel had even bothered to care about it, since the twins were both quite scared of spiders. Laurel wasn't sure what her father was scared of. _Loss of a loved one_ , she reckoned.   
  
  


_November 19th, 20xx_

⠀⠀⠀⠀ _Dear Mum,_

⠀⠀ _I'm terribly sorry that I haven't been returning your letters. School hasn't been letting up and all I've been doing is studying. I still haven't completed that drawing of the lake that I mentioned in the last letter yet. At least I aced my Care of Magical Creatures exam. Hagrid is quite a wonderful teacher._

⠀⠀ _Either way, school is delightful. Callen and Evan are still going strong, Asher is still trying to get Dom, and me? Well, I don't know if Professor Longbottom has already told you, but James (Sirius Potter) and I fell into devil's snare probably a week ago. Don't worry, we're fine. We also found this little hut after falling through the devil's snare. We may or may not have spent the night there._

⠀⠀ _No, this is_ _not_ _what you think it is. I'm_ _not_ _pregnant, as the twins think (absurd, don't you think?). James and I merely slept in the bed together, no touching, no anything. I promise you I'm not lying. Also, don't tell Dad or Aunt Ginny, they will both freak out. Aunt Ginny always finds out anyway. But she'll scold James, thankfully, and not me. Not like there's anything he should be scolded for._

⠀⠀ _I honestly don't know if I like him or not. Do you ever look at Dad and think how you could possibly deserve someone as polite and funny and kind as him? Or someone who loves Crumple-Horned Snorkacks as you? James is none of those things, but he's similar. He's funny, he's usually polite, he's kind to me. I have no reason not to like him, right?_

⠀⠀ _But Mum, I'm worried. What if we do end up being together and everything with Liam repeats? I don't want to risk it._

⠀⠀ _Anyway, even_ _though I didn't finish the painting of the lake, I did paint something else instead. I painted Reyna. Is she alright? I wish I could've taken her with me, but Caesar wasn't having it. Besides, I think she's better off at home. Caesar, being the temperamental and moody owl he is, won't like to be replaced by a simple, oblivious cat. I'll put the painting inside of the envelope. Please don't tell me Dad's already read this letter._

⠀⠀ _Anyway, I hope you write back soon! I want to hear about how the research on threstrals and nargles are going. Oh! And Blibbering Humdingers! I hope Caesar wasn't too much trouble when he arrived. You know him, he's always grumpy. Sometimes I wonder if he's part cat. He'd make a wonderful grumpy cat._

_I love you,_   
_Laurel_   
  


⠀⠀She sealed the envelope after gingerly placing the little watercolor painting of Reyna in it, carefully printing her mother's name on the front of the envelope. On the back, she quickly scribbled down that her father wasn't allowed to read it. Hopefully he'd listen.

⠀⠀Laurel got up from her chair and packed her bag, heading for the Owlery, pulling on her coat. The castle grounds were now covered in red and orange leaves, which were going to be replaced by snow in the near future. November was slowly turning into December and Laurel could feel it. She walked out of the castle doors leading to the Owlery, her shoes crunching on the leaves under her feet on the stairs to the Owlery. She walked up and quickly took a glance around the room, before her blue eyes landed on Caesar's soft grey feathers.

⠀⠀The medium sized owl hooted at her and noticed that she had an envelope in her hand, hooting grumpily. He seemed to not like mailing things out for her. She went over and ran her fingers on the owl's soft feathers, passing him a treat.

⠀⠀"To Mum," Laurel said, as if Caesar could understand her. He seemed to, nodding slightly and pulling the envelope out of her hand with his beak, before flying to the window and taking off.

⠀⠀Laurel was about to leave when a small owl swooped in, straight at her, dropping a letter at her feet, before flying away to an empty perch. She picked it up and found her name on it; the return address from her father. She loved letters from her father. They were always funny and filled with love. She stuffed it in her bag, saving it for later. Hopefully, this one wasn't so depressing; Rolf wasn't so happy with her grandmother's condition.

⠀⠀She made her way down the steps covered in leaves, hearing extremely familiar voices.

⠀⠀"You slept with our sister?" one said, she recognized him as Lorcan. There was nothing menacing in his tone. It was, as Laurel interpreted it, amusement.

⠀⠀She emerged from the side and saw Lorcan and Lysander, cornering James, who gripped a letter tightly in his hand.

⠀⠀Laurel heard a heavy and annoyed sigh from James and she could picture him rolling his eyes. She covered her grin with her hand as she hid from the boys' view.

⠀⠀" _No_. You two aren't being petty enough to believe those rumors, are you? Do you really think your sister would do such things?" James questioned annoyedly. "You're her _brothers_ , for Merlin's sake. You should know her well enough."

⠀⠀"We don't need your lecturing, Potter," Lorcan said, chuckling a little. "As long as you're not getting our sister pregnant before she's married, we'll let you go."

⠀⠀"I'm _not_ ," James huffed. "Besides, how could we even get to that stage when we're not even dating?"

⠀⠀"You guys could be," Lysander said. "She could be keeping it a secret, since you _are_ Harry Potter's oldest son."

⠀⠀"The reflection in the mirror reminds me of that everyday, Scamander," James said tiredly. "We're _not_ fucking dating. We're just friends."

⠀⠀"Not like that," Lysander said, his voice questioning. "I see the way you look at her, Potter. You don't look at her the way you look at her friends."

⠀⠀" _Maybe_ because her eyes are a really nice shade of blue," James said, a little too quickly, his voice slightly uneven. "Besides, what are you doing stalking your sister?"

⠀⠀"Thank you for the compliment," Lorcan said; Laurel could hear his smug grin, rolling her eyes. "Her and I share the same eyes."

⠀⠀"Look, mate, I know what it's like to completely melt when you look at someone you love," Lysander said, his voice surprisingly gentle as James shot Lorcan a dry smile.

⠀⠀"Are you talking about my cousin?" James asked resignedly.

⠀⠀"Yes, but that's besides the point. _Listen_ ," Lysander said annoyedly. "It's like you stare at her and you see the light for the first time and you melt into yourself until you have to fucking pull yourself away from looking at her. That's how you look every time you look at my sister."

⠀⠀Laurel had to keep herself from screaming. She had heard Lysander talk like that about Roxanne before, but never to another member of the male species other than Lorcan (who did not truly care as to what he was saying). She covered her mouth, gasping slightly, waiting for James to respond. There was something churning violently in her stomach and she didn't know why. 

⠀⠀" _Fine_ ," James said, his voice tight and uneven. "I _do_ melt every time I look at her it feels like I'm dying on the inside. I–I always have to pull myself away from looking at her. It's _suffocating_."

⠀⠀ _Suffocating_ , Laurel thought. _Suffocating_ like how it felt to be alone in the classroom with him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. 

⠀⠀"See, Lorc," Lysander said after a long pause. "James Potter likes our sister."

⠀⠀"I'm not paying you _seven_ fucking Galleons," Lorcan said, refusing.

⠀⠀"You two made a _bet_? _Merlin_ ," James asked incredulously. He sounded slightly amused. "Besides, I never said I like her." He sounded too sure of his words, Laurel thought. She could hear the bit of doubt in his voice and she didn't like the sound of it.

⠀⠀"Well do you?" Lysander asked. 

⠀⠀Laurel then decided that she had had enough. She didn't want to know too much. This was already too much. She carefully tiptoed back up the steps, landing up and then walked back down, loudly this time to catch their attention. The twins immediately caught sight of her, jumping back and away from James. James turned around and saw her, his expression turning into a very small rueful smile.

⠀⠀Laurel didn't smile back, but looked away, walking towards the boys. "What are you three doing? You're never together."

⠀⠀"Just chatting with your little boyfr—" Lysander began.

⠀⠀Lorcan smacked him in the arm, shutting his twin brother up immediately. Laurel looked at him weirdly. But she knew exactly what he was talking about. "We just wanted to talk to Potter for a second."

⠀⠀"Don't tell me _you_ believe the rumors," Laurel said, narrowing her eyes at her brothers. They shifted awkwardly on their feet. "Well, if you two don't have anything to send Mum or Dad, you'd best be leaving."

⠀⠀"Don't let us find you two kissing," Lorcan said, pointing two splayed fingers at his eyes and then at the two of them as they began walking down the stone steps of the Owlery.

⠀⠀"We're _not_ dating!" Laurel and James yelled at the twins who merely laughed at the two of them. The two Gryffindors grumbled, turning to each other for a few seconds before turning back away.

⠀⠀"Sorry about them," Laurel said, after they both shared a long, awkward silence. She tried to keep her voice at a steady level, attempting to push the conversation before away from her mind. _Suffocating_. "They like to make the wrong assumptions."

⠀⠀"It's okay," James said, waving it away. "They are your brothers after all. They should be a little overprotective."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, leaning back on the same wall next to him. "Well, I do feel bad for Lily then. Since she also has two older brothers."

⠀⠀James smiled at her. "Do you think I'm overprotective?"

⠀⠀"No," Laurel said honestly, "not yet, at least."

⠀⠀James chuckled, turning away from her. Laurel continued staring at him, studying him. Sometimes she felt like she knew him inside out and other times, he was like a mystery, like the moon behind many clouds, almost being able to be seen but also invisible.

⠀⠀She turned away from him, kicking at the leaves surrounding her shoes lightly, playing with the ends of her sleeves, and staring at the last of the migrating birds fly overhead. Laurel didn't wait for James to say anything, she hadn't expected anything at all really. It was a clear day and she had wanted some fresh air before going back in to study for her Potions exam in two days. 

⠀⠀"How are you?" James asked, breaking their silence, almost making Laurel jump as she had been so engrossed by the birds. They hadn't spoken to each other in almost a week and since James was talking to her without any disappointment in his tone, Laurel supposed time had done it's healing. She smiled a little as she looked over at him, only to find that he was looking at her too.

⠀⠀"I'm alright, I suppose," Laurel said, staring at him. _Was he melting? Was he suffocating the way he said it just before? Was he melting into himself?_ "My dad found out about...my grandmother's condition and it didn't end well."

⠀⠀"What did he do?" James asked.

⠀⠀"He destroyed one of our two greenhouses," Laurel replied nonchalantly. "My mother dealt with it. It's okay."

⠀⠀"Bloody hell," James muttered to himself. "I'm guessing he was mad about the same thing you..."

⠀⠀"Cried about? Yeah," Laurel said calmly, heaving a sigh. "It's plausible that only my mother could've calmed him."

⠀⠀James looked up at her and Laurel back at him, looking eyes through his glasses for a moment before turning away. "No one else can?"

⠀⠀Laurel shook her head, pushing herself off of the stone wall. "Only she can keep him."

⠀⠀"Keep him from what?" James asked, grasping the letter tightly in his hand.

⠀⠀Laurel looked at him for a longer time now, looking into the chocolate ocean of his eyes. James felt a clenching in his throat and the quickened beat of his heart as his eyes settled on the blonde locks of her hair that blew elegantly around her face against the light wind; he so desperately wanted to push them away from her face. Her eyes were searching his. She wasn't bad at reading people when she wasn't oblivious. But James was good at hiding his feelings and pretending like he didn't care when he really did. Stray black pieces of his hair fell over dark eyebrows behind his glasses and the open hand that fell on his side looked so welcoming. Laurel had a sudden desire for them to be on her, anywhere at any time. Just to be near him so she could breathe. 

⠀⠀"Suffocating," she said finally, pulling herself away from him, walking towards the stairs but not losing her gaze. "To keep him from suffocating."


	9. THE BIRTHDAY OF ALL BIRTHDAYS

**THE FIRST SNOW OF THE YEAR** began falling on the 20th of November, much to James' delight. It was a Saturday, which James had happily woken up to, snow falling lightly outside, the castle grounds covered in a sheet of white color. He had also woken up to three shouts of ' _Happy Birthday_ ', two presents, and a card on his bed by the time he had changed to go to Hogsmeade. He was meeting up with the usual bunch: Evan, Asher, Dominique, Callen, and, of course, Laurel. Asher and Evan had been waiting for him in the common room, where he was hit with at least thirty people wishing him a happy birthday. Being Harry Potter's firstborn meant that almost _everyone_ knew it was your birthday. 

⠀⠀Having many family members had its proponents, but not when it was your birthday. As soon as the owls began swooping in at breakfast, James was pelted with a card or a parcel of considerable size from at least each family member (and a few from his father's ongoing fanbase). It wasn't the first time, but he always silently wished he had a summer birthday, like his parents' and Lily's, so he could spend it in the summer at home, _quietly_. But of course, he had to be born in the winter, where he wasn't in reach of people at home.

⠀⠀He quickly organized the presents and cards as the owls stopped coming (and apologized to the people who had were hit by the packages), but it had already attracted enough attention from quite literally the entire school. All of his friends were laughing at him, while Laurel smiled at him, giggling and returning to her food. He made a mental list in his head as to who these were from.

⠀⠀A package and card from Mum and Dad. Another package and two cards from Grandpa and Grandma Weasley. A card from Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. Another three cards from Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey, Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Angelina and Uncle George (who James had been skeptical to open since the year before, it had blown up into fireworks spelling out ' _Happy Birthday Jamesykins_ ' in the Great Hall).

⠀⠀He had gotten a small package from Victoire and Teddy, who were traveling together in France, finishing wedding plans; another card from Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur. Not to mention the other cards he had gotten already from his two siblings and the countless amount of cousins he had who were currently in Hogwarts. His birthday was literally a conundrum of cards, packages, and laughs every year. He honestly could never get enough of it.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀"Basking in the glory, Potter?" James heard a voice from behind him that was all too familiar. He glanced up and noticed Laurel's look of desperation at the person behind him.

⠀⠀"Gladly," James said, smirking a little as he turned around slowly, continuing to sort out his birthday cards as if they were Muggle playing cards. He was met with Liam's blue eyes and slightly annoyed expression. "How can I help you today, Anderson?"

⠀⠀"Nothing," Liam said, matching James' level of coolness. His blue eyes scanned the group of giggling friends, landing on Laurel's blonde head. "I was just looking for... _something_ of yours, Potter."

⠀⠀Dominique scoffed, catching Liam's meaning instantly, startling them all, glaring at Liam with her sea blue eyes. If looks could kill, Liam would've been dead years ago. " _Something_ of his? Laurel isn't an _object_ , you conceited, egoistical, imbecilic cow."

⠀⠀"People don't belong to people, mate," Asher chimed in calmly, his eyes narrowed at Liam.

⠀⠀"And besides, they're not even dating," Callen said, her hand tucked under her chin, rolling her dark brown eyes at the boy. "You, of all people, _aren't_ entitled to her time."

⠀⠀"So if you're looking for her," Evan said, a sarcastic smile on his face, "address her _properly_."

⠀⠀" _Gotcha_ ," James said, winking at Liam as everyone around him surged up in tittering, receiving glares from the Ravenclaw. "So do you still need her?"

⠀⠀" _If_ she wants to talk to me," Liam said coldly, stalking out of the Great Hall.

⠀⠀"Don't go," Callen said as soon as Liam was out of earshot. "I swear to Merlin, if you do—"

⠀⠀"I love you all," Laurel cut in sweetly, getting up, "but I think I should."

⠀⠀" _Laurel_ ," Dominique said tiredly, "how many times—?"

⠀⠀"Just this once, Dom, please?" Laurel asked with an urgency that Dominique had to give into. "Maybe this will help me with...you know."

⠀⠀"Don't come back saying it didn't. He really isn't worth your time," Callen said, Dominique agreeing with her, drinking from her glass of milk. "But we'll let you go. It had better be quick."

⠀⠀Laurel nodded and scurried away in the direction Liam had left in, her heart beating dangerously quickly. She was anxious about talking to him alone. Maybe she should've brought someone. It was too late to turn back for them now, she supposed. She didn't know why she was offering her time or her breath, but part of her wanted to figure out the one thing that had been bothering her for too long: did she still like him?  
  
  


⠀⠀He no longer gave her the feeling of ecstasy washing over her in waves, or the way his blue eyes would lock into hers, hitting her every time he spoke. But there was still something there; the tiny flame they still had was still going. She just didn't know if she should rekindle the fire or completely extinguish it. She felt like she probably should choose the latter.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀She pushed through the students who were slowly trickling into the Great Hall, looking for Liam. She found him in the now sparsely populated corridor by the Great Hall, walking over quickly, sweat building up in her palms.

⠀⠀Laurel slowly walked towards him, heaving a breath. He looked up, his expression indifferent and almost disinterested, but something in his blue eyes said otherwise. She made sure to stand a few feet away from him, just so nothing weird could possibly happen.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀"You were looking for me?" Laurel asked, her hands in her jacket pocket, feeling the smooth wood of her wand inside the right pocket.

⠀⠀"I didn't think you would actually come," Liam said, his voice surprisingly soft. He seemed to make the distance closer between them and Laurel couldn't move back; it was like she was frozen in place.

⠀⠀"Well, here I am," Laurel said, chuckling warily, feeling finally returning to her legs. "Go on, ask. I haven't got all day." She moved back, but he seemed to follow, her back meeting the marble wall of the corridor. It was completely empty now.

⠀⠀"You always were rushy," Liam mused, a smile cracking on his face. "Oh, how I've missed you."

⠀⠀"That isn't a question," Laurel said coldly. He was too close. His face was less than half a foot away from her own and his tall body seemed to loom over hers. She pushed him away, moving away from him until he grabbed her arm, pulling her back, pushing her swiftly up against the wall.

⠀⠀"Fine," Liam said, his hand grasped tightly on her arm. "You see, I wanted to know if you and Potter were _actually_ together. If your friend Li was _actually_ telling the truth."

⠀⠀"Why do you care anyway?" Laurel snapped, trying to twist her arm free. "You said you wouldn't care about anything that had to do with me after we broke up so why do you _care_?"

⠀⠀"Because I still like you," Liam whispered, leaning into her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck and it was making her insides turn inside out.

⠀⠀" _Two years_ later and you want me back?" Laurel sneered, trying to shove him off. "You're a complete nutter to think I'd want you back."

⠀⠀"I take my chances."

⠀⠀"Well, you're too late, _Anderson_ ," Laurel said, menacingly. His grip tightened around her wrist painfully, causing her to wince.

⠀⠀"Too _late_? So you're _actually_ with him," Liam said, almost to himself. "Brilliant. All I need to do is ruin it."  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel was too busy trying to free her wrist to notice what he was doing. The wind was knocked out of her as he slammed her against the wall, his hand still around her wrist, his other hand on the back of her neck, and, much to her horror, his lips on hers. They were cold and bitter, like a potion gone wrong. She shrunk back but found nothing to shrink into except the wall, which served terribly. Her eyes were wide open as he moved his lips against her unmoving ones, making her want to vomit. 

⠀⠀She kicked him, right in between his legs. She became her own salvation as he ripped his lips off of hers, crying out in agony and his eyes flashing at her in anger. She didn't care. Laurel was definitely angrier than he was.

⠀⠀"How _dare_ you?!" she bellowed at him, anger boiling in her chest. "How—" she slapped his face — "fucking" — she elbowed his stomach — "dare you?!" She shoved him on the ground into a helpless heap. "Liam Anderson, you listen to me _right now!_ "

⠀⠀He looked up at her, and she had a moment of satisfaction as she saw a red mark on his face. But it disappeared quickly. 

⠀⠀"You're _terrible_ ," Laurel spat, bending down to talk to his beaten form on the ground. "You're _so_ terrible. You're vile. You can't just bloody kiss someone after you fucking cheated on them, you loathsome, egotistical, arrogant piece of shite. I hope you _rot_ in bloody hell."

⠀⠀Liam didn't say anything as she stood up.

⠀⠀"Whatever is between _Potter_ and I _remains_ between Potter and I," she seethed. "It has nothing to do with the likes of you."

⠀⠀With that, she walked away, her hands in her jacket pocket, one finger touching the handle of her wand; she wasn't afraid to use it. Her wrist where Liam had been holding ached, but it was nothing compared to the overwhelming feeling of coming to a decision. She smiled a little at the thought. She had made her choice.

⠀⠀She had chosen the latter.   
⠀⠀

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**LAUREL RETOLD THE STORY** to her five friends on the way to Maddie's Ice Cream. Well, she wasn't going to until Callen asked. They had a mixed amount of reactions; Dominique had been so proud of her, Callen didn't exactly approve of the violence but was glad Liam had been taught a lesson, Evan was surprised at Laurel's cursing, Asher was overall impressed, and James had laughed, also quite impressed. She, however, didn't mention her aching wrist.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀The six of them walked into the parlor, getting in line for hot drinks. Laurel wanted a warm hot chocolate. It was still snowing outside, her hair wet as the snow melted when she walked into the warm store. She and James were at the end of the line, while the other four were busy talking amongst themselves. 

⠀⠀"You all right?" James asked, turning to her.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said honestly, smiling a little. "I've never felt so alive."

⠀⠀James laughed. She beamed at him, moving up in the line. There was an aching pain in her wrist, which she hadn't looked at since her victory over Liam. She moved her jacket sleeve up, only to show a huge purple bruise the shape of fingers on her skin.

⠀⠀James' grin was gone as he reached for her hand, holding it gently in place as he examined the bruise. "Did Liam do that to you?"

⠀⠀Laurel nodded, sighing. "It'll be gone in no time, James."

⠀⠀"Yeah, but he hurt you," James said, quietly. Quiet was dangerous. "No one hurts my gi— _friend_."

⠀⠀Laurel pulled her arm away from him gently, smiling. "You're brilliant, James, you really are. But maybe this fight isn't your fight."

⠀⠀James smirked as he turned back around to order his drink. "It is mine now."

⠀⠀" _James_ ," she grumbled, but took it anyway. There wasn't anything she could do about it.

⠀⠀She ordered her drink as soon as James was done, taking her drink and paying for it, heading over to the table where the other five sat, happily drinking their warm beverages. She sat next to James, staring at where the bruise should be which was covered with her black jacket. She just hoped Callen and Dominique wouldn't notice it. Liam would have to take another beating then. 

⠀⠀"So where to, birthday boy?" Asher asked cheerfully as he set down his glass.

⠀⠀"Dunno," James said, shrugging.

⠀⠀"Honeydukes maybe?" Asher suggested.

⠀⠀" _Boring_ ," Dominique said in a sing-song way, receiving a glare from Asher. "Let's go to the Shrieking Shack."

⠀⠀" _Also_ boring," Asher responded, crossing his arms as he leaned back on his chair.

⠀⠀"Says the one who was screaming his lungs out," Dominique snarked, a smirk on her face as Asher opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. "But I digress."

⠀⠀They all sat in silence, thinking of where to go, drinking their drinks thoughtfully.

⠀⠀"Well," Laurel piped up, "I was going to go to Gladrags because I have to get James a birthday present." She said it with no shame at all. Laurel was known for doing that. She was spontaneous with birthday presents and usually bought them the day of. Not that her friends minded.

⠀⠀"I'll go with you," Callen said, shrugging. Everyone made a noise of agreement.

⠀⠀"So it's settled then," James said, grinning. "Gladrags it is."

⠀⠀"We should go to Spintwitches after," Evan suggested, poking his friend.

⠀⠀"There's also ice skating further down by the Shrieking Shack," Dominique added on. "James, you love ice skating."

⠀⠀"I do. That sounds like a plan," James nodded, pushing his fogged up glasses back up his nose from the hot drink. 

⠀⠀They all finished their drinks quickly, bringing the mugs back to the counter and then leaving. Laurel and James led the group to Gladrags, all splitting up into pairs as they entered the shop. Evan with Callen, Dominique with Asher, and of course, the little rumored couple of Hogwarts, Laurel with James. 

⠀⠀"James, do you know what I'm going to get you?" Laurel asked, walking into a section. James had his hands in his pockets as he watched Laurel look through the clothes.

⠀⠀"Let me guess. The screaming socks?" James asked, smirking a little.

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "How'd you guess?"

⠀⠀"Because you said you'd get it for my birthday that day at Hogsmeade," James said simply, shrugging.

⠀⠀"You actually remembered?" Laurel asked, genuinely impressed.

⠀⠀"Yes. I remember everything you say," James said simply, causing Laurel's stomach to lurch a little at the last sentence. _How could he say that with such nonchalance?_ "I want the color grey, by the way."

⠀⠀Laurel shot him a half stern, half amused look. "You don't get to choose the color, Mr Potter. Don't think that just because it's your birthday you get to be all high and mighty on the gift _I_ get to choose for _you_."

⠀⠀"Fine," James said, raising his hands in surrender, "you can choose. Just don't pick a color like magenta. _Please_."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "Magenta? I was just going to go with white."

⠀⠀James let out a sigh of relief, laughing a little. "I must've really misunderstood the way you think."

⠀⠀"A lot of people do," Laurel said, shrugging, picking up a pair of screaming socks, walking over to the cashier to pay for it.

⠀⠀"How so?" James questioned as Laurel paid, leaving the store and hanging around outside to wait for the others.

⠀⠀"Well, I'm...odd, I suppose. I like weird things and find interest in things like Nargles and Blibbering Humdingers," Laurel reasoned, staring at her shoes. "I'm surprised someone... _normal_ like you, or any of you guys would like to be my friend."  
  


⠀⠀James looked at Laurel for a moment, his brown eyes studying her every move. She had never looked more beautiful in his eyes. She was sitting next to him on a bench outside Gladrags, wrapped in a black winter coat, a white woolen hat covering her blonde head to leave out some locks that fell down her shoulders, a scarlet and gold scarf wrapped around her neck, and her hand stuffed into one of her coat pockets. Her cheeks and nose were tainted pink from the cold, and the curled ends of her golden hair were glistening with melted snowflakes. Laurel wasn't looking at him, but rather the snow that was falling into her purple mittened hand, melting just before landing on the knit fabric. He could see her breath coming out of her rosy lips that he so wanted to put his lips on, to kiss her, to make himself feel warm from her touch.

⠀⠀He didn't want screaming socks for his birthday. He wanted her.   
  
  


⠀⠀"You're not odd," James finally said, tearing his eyes off of her, scooting over a little bit, his knee banging into hers. "You're unique. That's why I'm friends with you. That's why we're all friends with you."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled, turning to James, not realizing how close they had become. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him. For some reason, she was always cold. Looking at him made her feel oddly warm inside, the way butterbeer made you feel warm. He wasn't wearing a hat, which bothered Laurel, since she was worried he'd get sick later. His ears were a deep shade of pink, along with his nose and his cheeks. His glasses fogged up every time he breathed and were wet from the droplets of snow that melted on the glass; his hair was quite wet as well. She had to admit, he _was_ incredibly good looking. Well, he had always looked the same to her, but she hadn't really noticed the spots he had scattered across his face or the point of his nose until now. She so desperately wanted to draw him, her hands itching for her sketchbook.

  
⠀⠀"Thank you," she said, chuckling, turning away from him. He knew she'd been staring; he felt her breath on her neck as she did, and he had to fight to control himself from just turning around and kissing her. Part of him had a feeling she did like him, but he didn't know what was holding her back. He felt that there was something or _someone_ that was keeping her from taking a leap of faith into his arms.   
  


⠀⠀Before he could reply, the other four friends marched out of Gladrags, looking for them. James stood up, offering a hand to Laurel. "It's a little slippery," he said a little too quickly as Laurel stared at his hand quizzically.

⠀⠀Laurel took his hand and found that it was in fact, slippery, almost falling over. James was quick enough to grab her other hand to steady her, causing them both to laugh at her clumsiness.

⠀⠀"Someone's got two left legs there," James teased Laurel as they walked to their friends, his hand still wrapped around her loosely.

⠀⠀"It was _slippery_ ," Laurel snapped back playfully, rolling her eyes, pulling her hand away from his and back into her coat pocket.

⠀⠀"I warned you," James chuckled, ignoring the fact that Laurel had unknowingly caused his heart to droop a little. He was hoping to hold her hand for a little longer than that. But then again, what did he expect?

⠀⠀"Having a little too much fun in paradise, I see," Asher teased as Laurel and James joined the other four.

⠀⠀"Shut up," James said, shoving Asher as Laurel chuckled, turning to stare up at the mistletoe that was hanging around the lampposts of Hogsmeade. The village was slowly becoming more and more festive for the holidays as Christmas approached, tinsel ranging from green, silver, and red decorating store windows, and brightly colored wreaths charmed with singing pixies hung on store doors. It looked like a Christmas card.   
  
  


⠀⠀"It's full of nargles," Laurel said suddenly, continuing to stare at the mistletoe with fascination.

⠀⠀"Nargles...?" Asher and Evan asked in unison, throwing them all confused looks. James, Callen, and Dominique shrugged. At this point, they were all probably used to Laurel like this.

⠀⠀"Are we going to Spintwitches or not? Because I really want to go ice skating," Dominique asked impatiently.

⠀⠀"I've never ice skated before," Laurel said, her interest on the mistletoe gone.

⠀⠀"I can help you," James offered. Laurel just smiled and nodded at him as they all began to walk towards Spintwitches, entering the store, the boys' eyes glowing as they saw their favorite things inside the store.

⠀⠀"I've never seen the boys so... _excited_ like this about anything before," Callen muttered to Dominique and Laurel. The three of them were on a different aisle from the boys, looking through the different things that the store offered.

⠀⠀"Well, Evan was pretty excited like this when he saw you after holidays two years ago," Dominique said, chuckling as she picked up a Holyhead Harpies t-shirt.

⠀⠀"More like every time he sees her after not seeing her for a minute, he's excited like a little puppy," Laurel said, watching Callen blush a little. "Callen, he looks at you like you're a supernova."

⠀⠀"You know, it's because my dad didn't want me to date some random wizard boy, who was and is a brilliant flyer, so he blocked off any letter writing to Evan. That's why he was so excited to see me after the holidays," Callen explained simply. "But my dad has changed his mind since."

⠀⠀"Did someone say I'm an amazing flyer?" Evan's voice came from behind them. Callen squeaked a little as they all whipped around.

⠀⠀"She did," Dominique said as Laurel pointed at Callen in a playfully accusing manner.

⠀⠀"Of course she did," Evan said, grinning as he flung his arms around Callen, who was giggling like a child who had eaten too much chocolate, picking her up and swinging her around.

⠀⠀"Oh, happy day!" Dominique exclaimed sarcastically. "Evan and Callen are happy as usual, Laurel and James are getting there slowly but with brilliant progress, and I, as usual, am alone and, might I say, _quite_ happy."

⠀⠀"What do you mean we're ' _getting there_ '?" Laurel asked sharply. "James and I have nothing happening."

⠀⠀" _Sure_ ," Dominique rolled her eyes. "You _sleep_ next to him, you get all worked up about him too—"

⠀⠀"Be _quiet_ ," Laurel shushed her friend. "There are people, with _ears_ , that can hear you and your loud mouth, Dom."

⠀⠀Dominique laughed. "At least they know that the rumor isn't completely a lie."

⠀⠀Before Laurel got to reply, Asher and James appeared, both now looking slightly bored.

⠀⠀"Can we go ice skating now?" Asher asked.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀So that's what they did. They trekked in the slippery snow to the ice skating rink, which was sparsely populated today since everyone was Christmas shopping. They paid for their rental skates that tied themselves and headed to the ice, Laurel sitting next to James apprehensively. The other four were already on the ice while Laurel had only one skate on.

⠀⠀"I'll help you," James said as if reading her mind. He jerked his head to the ice. "Come on, Scamander."  
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel nodded, quickly pulling on the other skate, and taking James' hand as they walked onto the ice. She watched as Callen and Dominique gracefully glided across the ice, Evan a little bit less graceful, and Asher surprisingly steady on his feet. James was still holding her hand as she stepped gingerly onto the ice, almost slipping.

⠀⠀His grip tightened around her hand, hoisting her up, so she wouldn't fall. He began to skate backward, grabbing her other hand, pulling her along with him. She squealed a little as she realized how fast they were going. They weren't going that fast. They were just going a little too quickly for her liking. 

⠀⠀"Laurel, you'll be fine. I've got you," James said reassuringly, squeezing her hand a little. "Look, bend your legs a little like me."

⠀⠀He began to tell her how to ice skate, pulling her along the rink, her shrieking occasionally as he began skating quickly, the shrieks drowned out in his loud laughter, slowing down. She eventually caught on, letting go of him, falling a few times, until she was able to hobble around the rink once without holding onto James.

⠀⠀Laurel enjoyed skating with James. He held her hand as they skated around, watching the ice change colors under their feet. Wizard rock was playing, which James occasionally started dancing and singing off-key to, Laurel yelling at him to stop, otherwise, she'd fall.

⠀⠀"You're so afraid of falling," James chuckled, holding her hand, as they skated around Evan and Callen. "You've got to fall a few times to learn sometimes."

⠀⠀"I've fallen enough times to know that my legs hurt," Laurel said, glaring softly at him.

⠀⠀"Do you want to stop? You can sit down if you're tired," James said concernedly, stopping in his skates.

⠀⠀"And watch you all skate so easily while I can hardly do anything? Not a chance," Laurel said with a determination that made James smile. "Come on, Potter."

⠀⠀She grabbed his hand this time, pulling him, even as she stumbled a little in her skates. She couldn't help but smile; she was having a lot of fun despite the soreness in her feet and legs. Laurel also couldn't help but blush a little at the fact that her and James were still holding hands, gliding around the ice. _Way to blow off rumors_ , she thought. _You did pretty well, Laurel._  
  


⠀⠀The blonde eventually had to sit down, because she had tripped and something weird had happened with her right leg. She didn't know if she had heard a crack, but all she felt was a horrible pain surging through her. James had rushed to her side and so had the others, helping Laurel to the side. The ice rink manager was terrible with healing spells so he couldn't help her, unfortunately. All the other employees, well, they were off on holiday.

⠀⠀"I told you you should've sat down earlier," James said in almost a scolding manner, as Callen gently pulled off her right skate. "Now look at your legs."

⠀⠀"Shut up, James. She broke her leg and that's all you can say to her?" Dominique asked, smacking James' arm, who yelped in pain.

⠀⠀"I'll be fine, Dom. We'll get to Madam Pomfrey and she'll use some healing spells on me when we get back to Hogwarts and I'll be okay," Laurel said dismissively in between pained breaths. The pain was so terrible.

⠀⠀"We should get back," Asher said, grabbing everyone's suddenly discarded skates by their laces and placing them in the returning area. "Laurel, can you walk?"

⠀⠀"Have you gone mad, Ash? Of course she bloody can't!" Dominique exclaimed furiously. Then she muttered something along the lines of " _boys_ " under her breath.

⠀⠀"Oi, someone has to help her," Evan declared, looking at them all. Then his eyes landed on the perfect one. "Ah, perfect! James, you've been selected for the job. And you too Dom."

⠀⠀James threw Evan an unamused look, knowing what Evan was trying to do, half ungrateful and half grateful for it. "Come on," he said to Laurel, crouching down slightly so that she could sling her arm over his shoulder, her other arm around Dominique. They both helped her up, thanked the manager and made their way to the snow when Dominique began to complain.

⠀⠀"James, you're walking too fast," Dominique said for the eighth time. James had chosen to ignore her, while Laurel had zoned out, trying to figure out when the snow had stopped falling.

⠀⠀"Well, maybe because your legs are too short," James snorted.

⠀⠀"James Sirius Potter, I'm the same bloody height as you, alright? So you're just calling yourself short," Dominique argued back.

⠀⠀" _Fine_ ," James snapped, stopping abruptly, causing Laurel to squeak a little in pain. "I slowed down for you and I'm _still_ too fast. So I'll just carry Laurel, since that's what you and Evan had planned since Laurel had fallen down."

⠀⠀Laurel stared between James and Dominique, who were almost glaring at each other. She slowly slid her arm off of Dominique, who Laurel could tell was trying to hide a smile. She had gotten what she wanted.

⠀⠀Laurel carefully wrapped her arms around James' neck, leaning on his back as he hooked his strong arms around her legs, continuing his trek through the thin layer of snow after the other four, a good distance away. Laurel wasn't heavy, really, he would probably be tired later, but he couldn't stop his heart from racing. He could feel her hot breath on the back of his cold neck and it was driving him crazy.   
  


⠀⠀"I'm sorry," Laurel said, breaking him from his reverie. Her voice came out very gently, almost quiet as if the words she was speaking were only for him. They probably were only for him.

⠀⠀"For?"

⠀⠀"Breaking my leg and making you carry me," Laurel said, leaning her head forward so she was right next to his ear.

⠀⠀"It's okay. The carrying part wasn't your fault," James said, turning his head slightly. His lips brushed against her cold cheek, sending jolts through his body as they came in contact. Laurel felt it too, her stomach dropping, her already red face turning redder, and her heart rate increasing. She jerked back slightly, blinking a few too many times.

⠀⠀"Sorry...about that," James said quickly, his ears turning a shade of vermillion that would've made Uncle Ron proud. "I didn't mean—"

⠀⠀"It's okay," Laurel cut in, chuckling a little. "I'm sure you didn't mean to."

⠀⠀"Yeah," he said, sighing a little. She was looking at him and didn't miss his sigh.

⠀⠀Laurel felt herself break a little. She wanted him to mean to. Maybe then she'd be able to breathe.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**ONCE THEY HAD ARRIVED** back at Hogwarts, Laurel was quickly taken to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey rambling about how Laurel had ruined her streak of not getting any injuries. She had broken her leg and Madam Pomfrey had managed to heal most of it. But the rest of the healing process would have to be on its own. She would have crutches for at most a week and would have to come to the hospital wing for daily checkups.

⠀⠀Then they headed back to the Gryffindor Tower, putting away their coats and then coming back downstairs to hang around the fire. Laurel asked Dom to grab her sketchbook and the Polaroid she had found for her, which Dom did. Then they hung around, playing Exploding Snap while Laurel peacefully drew, her leg propped up as she sat on the sofa.

⠀⠀Everyone was on the floor except her, sitting in a circle, playing Exploding Snap. James sat next to Laurel's leg, leaning on the couch, Dominique to the left of him, Asher, Evan, and then Callen, who closed the circle by sitting on the floor in the other side of Laurel's leg. 

⠀⠀Laurel reached into her rather large pencil case, finding an old pair of Spectrespecs inside, pulling it out. She wondered how James would look in them, giggling a little. Tapping him on the shoulder, she showed him the glasses.

⠀⠀"Laurel, I am not trying those on," he said, shaking his head as everyone around them began laughing. 

⠀⠀"You know you love them," Dominique said, nudging James with her shoulder and laughing.

⠀⠀"I don't," James said honestly.

⠀⠀"Piss-off," Laurel said, grumpily, leaning back on the couch. But then, leaning forward again, she grinned mischievously and yanked off his own glasses, replacing them with the Spectrespecs.

⠀⠀"Rels!" James exclaimed. The other four howled with laughter.

⠀⠀"Please! Just for the picture," Laurel begged, pulling out her Polaroid. Surprisingly, there had been film at Flourish and Blotts, which her father had mailed to her once she had written back about the camera. It was wizard film too and Laurel was excited to use it.

⠀⠀"Fine," James sighed. She laughed and held the camera do his face, snapping the picture as he made a weird face. The photo shot out of the camera, which Laurel carefully placed on the armrest to develop.

⠀⠀"How about one with you two?" Callen asked, stretching out her hand for the camera. Laurel didn't answer as she handed the camera to her friend, carefully seating herself on the floor next to James, who was sulking a little. She grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in what she hoped was a platonic manner and smiled up at the camera for Callen.

⠀⠀"I look ridiculous," James joked, causing everyone to laugh right as Callen pressed the button for the shutter to close.

⠀⠀The photo ejected from the bottom of the Polaroid, Callen handing the camera and the photo to Laurel as she sat down next to Laurel. The blonde reached for the photo she had left to develop, which was still developing. She could see hints of the moving images forming. James, in the first one, smiling up at the camera with his Spectrespecs, sticking up his middle finger at either Asher or Evan after they had said something that Laurel hadn't heard. The two of them in the second one, Laurel laughing silently at James, her arms around his neck...

⠀⠀Laurel hadn't really noticed it before, but he had his arm slung around her waist as if they could get any closer. She wondered if he wanted something more in their relationship than what they already had, stealing a glance at James. Something in Laurel yearned for more. 

⠀⠀"Here," Laurel said, poking James, who was busy taking the Spectrespecs off. She passed him the Polaroid of him. "Happy birthday."

⠀⠀James took it, grinning. "Thanks." He took the Polaroid of the two of them and made a copy with a wave of his wand. " _Geminio_."  
  


⠀⠀With that finished, James smiled to himself as he looked around at his friends. They were so happy at the moment, throwing cards at Evan for cheating, Laurel laughing as she returned to her sketching next to him. He thought to himself in satisfaction that maybe this was the best birthday he had ever had in a while.

⠀⠀ _Perhaps_ , he thought as he turned to look at Laurel, _it was because of her_.


	10. ENIGMA

**THEY STARTED GOING TO** classes together again, the two week long avoidance of each other finally coming to an end, after his birthday. James' mood had significantly changed for the better ever since he had turned seventeen; his friends could only guess why. Laurel didn't really have to guess.

⠀⠀He had gotten a letter from his father, saying that he had shown up in a small article on the _Wizard's Weekly_ with a picture of him carrying Laurel. Harry was asking if he and Laurel were actually dating, although he didn't think so. His mother was excited, calling Luna again and again, making extravagant wedding plans and unnecessary baby name lists (James wondered if it was because she herself had hardly gotten a say in her own children's names).

⠀⠀He had laughed at his mother, shaking his head at the ridiculous name list (which luckily had the name Pigwedgion crossed out). James wanted to show Laurel, but held himself back, fearing that she'd be creeped out. But he couldn't settle on what her reaction would be, since she was one of unpredictability. He liked that very much about her.   
  


⠀⠀Laurel had hung up the pictures from James' birthday on an empty wall in their dormitory (since there were only the three girls), adding it to the photo wall she was slowly piecing together. There were photos of the three girls, Laurel and her brothers, just Dom and Callen, and others. Laurel loved pictures as much as she did with art, and wondered how she'd fair as a photographer for the _Daily Prophet_ or the _Magician's Magazine_. But she pushed that thought away, focusing on her career path as a Healer. She really wanted to be one. Perhaps photography would be a hobby from now on.

⠀⠀She couldn't stop looking at the picture of her and James for awhile. Callen and Dom would catch her staring at the photo with that glazed look she had when she was fascinated by the moon or the stars, which was a rarity for Laurel to be doing while looking at people. 

⠀⠀"You like him, don't you?" Dominique asked, as the three of them were walking to the library to study.

⠀⠀"Him who?" Laurel asked, confused at first. Then Dominique threw her a look and she snapped out of it. "Oh. _Him_."

⠀⠀"Yes, _him_. My cousin," the ginger said, rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀Laurel hesitated, finding an empty table in the back of the library, sitting down, thinking about the question. _Did_ she like him?

⠀⠀"Don't lie," Callen said, sitting across from Laurel next to Dominique. "It's written all over your face when you watch him talk during mealtimes."

⠀⠀"What's written all over my face?" Laurel stuttered. She didn't think she was that readable. Callen and Dominique let out noises of exasperation.

⠀⠀"You _like_ him, _obviously_ ," Dominique said. Laurel threw her a puzzled look.

⠀⠀"You look at him the way Callen looks at Evan, okay? I can see it," Dominique continued, rolling her eyes.

⠀⠀"Or the way Asher looks at you?" Callen said, wiggling her eyebrows. "I can't believe you always miss that!"

⠀⠀"He _looks_ at me?" Dominique asked, slightly flabbergasted as Laurel chuckled. "I mean, I never really paid attention. He was just always there for me as someone who'd fool around with me, cracking jokes and what not."

⠀⠀"He likes you, you know," Callen said.

⠀⠀"Well, not evidently enough," Dominique said resignedly. "I like him— _no_ , not like that. He's fun to be around and he's kind of stupid so it's funny."

⠀⠀"He's not stupid," Laurel said, flipping open her Herbology book. "He got an Outstanding on his Potions and Charms O.W.L., Dom."

⠀⠀"How do you know that?" Dominique asked.

⠀⠀"He told me," Laurel said simply. The two looked at her confused. "He made a bet with me in our fifth year because we were in similar classes that if I got more Outstandings than him, then he'd pay me three Galleons and vice versa."

⠀⠀"Who won?" Callen asked.

⠀⠀"Me, of course," Laurel said, calmly. "But he only had one less than me and that was in Astronomy."

⠀⠀They all paused for a second, the both of them staring at Laurel, wide-eyed. "See he's not as stupid as you think," Laurel said, chuckling.

⠀⠀"He's still not the one," Dominique said, shrugging. "Victoire didn't even need to work that hard for hers. Teddy was always there. Now they're getting married sometime in July!"

⠀⠀"What do you mean? You're waiting for your Teddy Lupin? Because there's only one," Callen chuckled.

⠀⠀"No, but that's besides the point," Dominique said, waving her hand around. "We're getting off track here. We need to focus on whether or not Laurel likes James."

⠀⠀"Why does it matter?" Laurel asked nonchalantly, scribbling something important down in her notebook. James had said he needed help with the explanation of this plant.

⠀⠀"Of course this matters, Laurel!" Domonique exclaimed. "You liking someone again is a breakthrough and it's _my_ cousin too!"

⠀⠀"I never said I liked him," Laurel said nonchalantly. _Liking someone again_ , she thought. _Again?_ She was so scared to fall into that trap again, the trap of getting her heart broken.

⠀⠀"Denial and then acceptance," Callen said boredly. "It always works that way. Even with me so don't tell me that's a lie."

⠀⠀"I know that's not a lie. I've been in love before," Laurel said haughtily, looking up from her notebook. "And that didn't end well."

⠀⠀"So that's why you're so afraid of falling in love again," Dominique came into a realization a little after Laurel had spoken. "You're scared whatever that happened with Liam will happen again with James."

⠀⠀"Yes, but like I said many times before, I don't like James," Laurel sighed. But she was lying. The last four words felt like lead on her tongue.

⠀⠀"Yeah, right," Callen said, rolling her eyes. "James won't do what Liam did. He's too in love with you."

⠀⠀"Besides, I _know_ my cousin," Dominique said. "He's not the type."

⠀⠀"Too in love with me? Since when?" Laurel questioned.

⠀⠀"Since _forever_ ," Callen said, as if it were obvious. "According to Evan at least."

⠀⠀"He's dated girls before though, hasn't he?" Laurel asked, skeptical.

⠀⠀"Yes, but it has always been you," Dominique said. "Remember that Christmas party a few years ago with the Potters? You were talking to me and I couldn't stop laughing?"

⠀⠀"You mean the Christmas of our second year?" Laurel asked. "Because that was incredibly rude of you. I was talking about something impor—"

⠀⠀" _Laurel_ ," Dominique cut in. "That isn't the point. And no, it was our third year. I'm talking about why I was laughing."

⠀⠀"Well?"

⠀⠀"He didn't realize you were there, okay? And he was freaking out as you were talking to me and I couldn't stop laughing, you should've seen him," Dominique recalled quickly, laughing a little at the memory. "I didn't understand why at the time because I didn't know he liked you but now everything makes sense."

⠀⠀"So he has been harboring a crush on Laurel ever since our third year?" Callen asked, as astounded as Laurel was, he hand tucked under her chin. "How _devoted_."

⠀⠀"I guess he was trying to forget about you by dating two other girls, but I suppose that didn't work," Dominique shrugged, chewing on her pen subtly as she took notes.

⠀⠀"Now he wants to date me," Laurel sighed. "I don't know know. I don't know if I want to date in general. I could easily tell him no if he ever did ask but he's such a good friend."

⠀⠀"Don't worry about it," Callen said, Dominique making a grunt of agreement. "Let time unfold itself and tell its own story. You'll figure it out eventually."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled ruefully. "Let's hope it's a good one."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **"ARE YOU EVER GOING TO** ask her out?" Asher asked as they all got ready in the Quidditch changing room. The three boys had gotten there early for practice, talking about James' profound love for Laurel.

⠀⠀"No, not yet. Not right now," James said quickly, throwing on his scarlet and gold Quidditch robes.

⠀⠀"Why not? You've finally got her attention after about three years," Evan said, after tripping over Asher's broomstick, cursing under his breath.

⠀⠀"I don't think she's mentally ready," James reasoned, shrugging. "I think she's still shaken up from her last relationship."

⠀⠀"That was _two_ _bloody years ago_ ," Evan countered. "She still hasn't recovered?"

⠀⠀"She probably thought she did. But I think after all the things we did, all the time we had spent with each other, she was reminded of the times she was with Anderson and is scared it'll all repeat again," James stated nonchalantly.

⠀⠀"Maybe she still likes him," Asher shrugged.

⠀⠀"Let's hope not," Evan said, pulling on his shoes.

⠀⠀James nodded with Evan, throwing Asher a look. He punched him lightly in the arm. "Exactly. Don't be so pessimistic, Ashes."

⠀⠀"I'm just worried you're being too optimistic," Asher said, sitting on the bench, bending down to tie his shoelaces.

⠀⠀"Yes, I know," James said, sighing. "I know I'm overly optimistic at all times. But I'm pretty sure she doesn't like him. Remember how she beat the living fuck out of the guy?"

⠀⠀Asher nodded. "You never know," he said. "Girls are...strange."

⠀⠀"Yes and some of us bloody males happen to be attracted to these _strange_ creatures," James said, waving his hand around, which had his wand, causing one of the cubbies to explode. They all jumped, James quickly waving his wand again to fix it.

⠀⠀"Do you think Dominique is actually lesbian? Is that why she's not attracted to me?" Asher asked suddenly after James had gingerly stored his wand away.

⠀⠀"No," James said, shaking his head. "She _is_ something, but it isn't my place to tell you or anyone really."

⠀⠀"But does it have anything to do with why I feel like she doesn't like me back?"

⠀⠀"No, but look, Ashes, Dominique's not the type to date," James said, shaking his head. "She'll date eventually, I'm sure of it, but not now. Now isn't the right time."

⠀⠀"You also have to factor in that she's part Veela," Evan said, factually. "She attracts pretty much anyone who isn't taken. You're lucky Louis is in Beauxbatons and Victoire is gone, otherwise, the whole school would be under their control."

⠀⠀"They're only one- _eighth_ Veela, you imbecile," James snapped, rolling his eyes.

⠀⠀"Honestly, just ask her out, mate," Evan said after throwing James an annoyed expression. "You have more guts than our precious little Jamesykins here."

⠀⠀"Don't call me that, Wormwood," James said, slightly amused as he grabbed an extra pair of rolled socks and chucked them at Evan, landing squarely on his face.

⠀⠀"Your bloody Chaser skills," Evan muttered after he had thrown them back at James and missed by a few inches.

⠀⠀"You're the one talking," James said, shaking his head and throwing the socks into his bag. "You're the Keeper, shouldn't you be catching the socks?"

⠀⠀"By Merlin, we're not even on the field yet!" Evan exclaimed, feigning dramatics as the three boys began to walk towards the pitch. "Give it a rest, Potthead."

⠀⠀"Aye aye, Captain Wormwood," James snarked, rolling his eyes, making a sarcastic salute.

⠀⠀"I don't know about you two," Asher said as he swung his leg over his broomstick, "but whoever makes it to the tallest goalpost last has to eat the eggplant that my mum mailed me for dinner!" With that, he took off, giving the other two only a few seconds to register what had happened before they followed after him.

In the end, Evan had lost. 

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **AT DINNER, THE FIVE** of them watched Evan eat Mrs Arlington's notorious eggplants, who was gagging the entire way. Asher and James had guffawed the whole way through, causing so much commotion at the Gryffindor table that Lucy Weasley had to come over and tell them to quiet down.

⠀⠀"James Potter!" Lucy exclaimed, stalking over to her cousin, poking him on the shoulder. "If you and your friend don't take it down a notch, I'll have to deduct ten points from Gryffindor _each_."

⠀⠀"Oh, don't get your wand in a knot, Lucy. It's all fun and games," James said, waving his cousin away.

⠀⠀Lucy shot her cousin an icy glare. They usually got along. It was just moments like these that made Lucy despise James' Gryffindor genes.

⠀⠀"Twenty points from Gr—!" she started.

⠀⠀"Okay! Lucy! My Merlin!" James exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender. "Bloody hell..." Everyone that had surrounded them began to settle down, returning to their seats as Evan finished, gulping down a whole goblet of pumpkin juice in a matter of seconds, laying his head on Callen's shoulder, who just chuckled at the move.

⠀⠀" _Thank_ you," Lucy said, rolling her eyes as she walked back to the Ravenclaw table, her curly red locks spinning with her head.

⠀⠀"Can never have fun, can she?" Asher asked, pity in his voice. "No wonder she doesn't have a boyfriend. Pretty, but...far too serious."

⠀⠀"That's my cousin, you bastard," James said, smacking Asher's head lightly enough that it still hurt a bit. Asher winced. "She's got some American Korean boyfriend that goes to Ilvermorny, so you're already out of her league."

⠀⠀"Korean?" Callen snapped up. Any mention of any Asian country always drew Callen's attention. As did any mention of Latin America would catch Evan's attention as well.

⠀⠀" _Korean_ ," James said. "They probably met on one of Uncle Percy's business trips, I reckon."

⠀⠀"But they do a lot of what Aunt Hermione calls FaceTelevision or whatever it is and he's so funny. He's so good for her. She needs a good laugh sometimes. Far too like her father, hardly smiles," Dominique added, chuckling.

⠀⠀"Turn around, you lunatic, she's smiling right now," Asher said, pointing behind then at the Ravenclaw table. And there she was, smiling as she laughed at her friend's joke.

⠀⠀" _Anyway_ ," Callen began, drawing their attention away from a slowly noticing Lucy, "is anyone down for Secret Santa? We can owl each other our presents during Christmas."

⠀⠀"Yeah, I'm down," Evan said, without a second thought. Callen beamed at him and then looked at everyone else.

⠀⠀Eventually, they were all down for it, all rushing back to the common room after dinner, waiting for Callen to get a bag and slip their names in it just to pick it out at random once more. The semester was ending, so their workload was at a minimum.

⠀⠀Laurel had opened up her slip of paper, finding Evan's name scrawled neatly onto it. She wondered, what would Evan like? She could probably ask Callen. She wouldn't tell Evan. Laurel knew Evan liked fantasy novels and plants, all because Callen was constantly fretting about what to get him for his birthday.

⠀⠀The little meeting was over, and they all began to head back up to their dorms. They made a quick change of plans, since James had invited them all to his parents' annual Christmas party, thus they could exchange presents then. It was quite a tiring day, since they all had an essay test in History of Magic, another test in Astronomy, a very long and boring session of Potions and other classes. They were finishing up the last of their tests for the term before the holidays strolled in, but teachers always scrambled at the very end to put in grades. With Laurel's now partially broken leg added into the mix, her stress levels were quite too high. 

⠀⠀Laurel dragged herself up the stairs, falling down onto her bed, watching as Callen and Dominique flew around the room, getting ready for bed. It was only seven in the evening, she thought. Then, like heavy weights had been attached to her eyelids, she fell asleep.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **HER EYES SNAPPED OPEN** , open not to her alarm or the sunlight, but darkness and quiet snores coming from her two neighbors. At first, she didn't understand why half of her body was on the floor or why she felt like she still had her shoes on, and then it dawned on her that she just passed out in exhaustion and hadn't actually gotten ready for bed. 

⠀⠀She sat up, finding herself still in her school uniform, groaning a little. The blonde glanced at her clock, finding that it was two in the morning, forcing herself to get up. Reaching over to her nightstand to grab her wand, she dug through her trunk for more comfortable clothes, settling on a pair of sweatpants and a knit sweater. She changed in the darkness, grabbing her sketchbook, pen, and wand, heading to the common room in hopes of some time to be alone.

⠀⠀But she was wrong. 

⠀⠀Someone else sat in the armchair by the still slightly burning fireplace, staring into the dwindling fire, hand under his chin, propped against the arm rest, so still, Laurel wondered if he was alive. Her hands itched to draw him. She slipped onto the couch next to his armchair, curling into a ball, and then he noticed her.

⠀⠀"Laurel?" he asked, looking up, turning away from the fire. Darkness hid his face as the light was behind him, but Laurel could easily make out his features, his pointed nose, his untidy black hair, his lanky frame...

⠀⠀"Hello there, James," Laurel said, opening her sketchbook as if she did this all the time. "What's keeping you up?"

⠀⠀"I should be asking you the same," James scoffed.

⠀⠀"I asked first."

⠀⠀"Fine. I just stole some food from the kitchen about an hour ago," James said casually, "and I put that all away, but then I went to sleep and couldn't fall asleep."

⠀⠀"It's sort of a stupid question, but do you know why you couldn't fall asleep?" Laurel asked, closing her book.

⠀⠀"It's not a stupid question," James said, chuckling. "I reckon I just have too many thoughts running through my head and I can't seem to quiet down my mind about this one matter so I can't sleep."

⠀⠀"What's that one matter?"

⠀⠀James froze at the question. He couldn't tell her. The matter was _her_. He couldn't possibly tell her that he couldn't sleep because he was in love with her. Not yet, at least.

⠀⠀"It doesn't matter," was all he managed to choke out.

⠀⠀"It certainly does matter if it's a _matter_ to you," Laurel said. She was doing it again. She wasn't aware of it but she was staring him down with those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

⠀⠀Her blonde hair was a curly mess, even with her wand holding it together in a bun, but he wondered how she could possibly look so stunning even as she just hopped out of bed. Her blue eyes still glowed brightly, her hair still seemed to fall effortlessly into place, and her lips seemed to be shaped in such a way, it hinted at a smile. 

⠀⠀"I don't really want to talk about it, if that's all right with you," James said, calmly.

⠀⠀"It's okay," Laurel said, shrugging. "I'm not your psychiatrist anyway."

⠀⠀"Psychia—what?" James spluttered, baffled.

⠀⠀"Never mind," Laurel said, rolling her eyes. "You clearly did not excel in Muggle Studies."

⠀⠀"Never took Muggle Studies. I have Rose and Aunt Hermione for that," James shrugged.

⠀⠀"I could've guessed," Laurel said, chuckling. "Rose has quite an influence between you and your cousins, doesn't she? Like she's got Dom watching some Muggle television show."

⠀⠀"Yeah, _Doctor Who_. Rose has Dom, Victoire, _and_ Molly obsessed," James said, chuckling. "Uncle Bill says Dom never stops talking about it."

⠀⠀"It's quite evident," Laurel said, picking at the hem of her sweater.

⠀⠀"Hugo, Rose's brother, is not any different," James said. "He's got Albus, Freddy, Teddy, _and_ Uncle Charlie hooked onto football."

⠀⠀"I'm assuming that's a Muggle sport?" Laurel questioned.

⠀⠀"Yeah. You kick around a ball that's the size of a Quaffle, I suppose, into these big rectangular goal posts," James said, drawing angular shapes in the air. "It's all so confusing. Quidditch is _so_ much easier." He rolled his eyes.

⠀⠀"Just _one_ ball?" Laurel asked, slightly surprised.

⠀⠀"Yeah. That's the weird part. It's like everyone is just focused on one ball. Is it so hard for Muggles to use three more balls?" James questioned.

⠀⠀"Don't tell me this is what's keeping you up at night," Laurel deadpanned.

⠀⠀"Friendly reminder that I _am_ a Quidditch fanatic," James said, smirking a little.

⠀⠀Laurel just cocked an eyebrow, shaking her head as she returned to her sketchbook. "Mmhmm."

⠀⠀"Anyway," James said after a short pause, "why are you up?"

⠀⠀Laurel looked up from her drawing, which was slowly forming into what looked like the Black Lake.

⠀⠀"I knocked out as soon as we got to the dormitories, so it was like seven o'clock. I woke up at one," Laurel said simply.

⠀⠀"Wow," James marveled, "you don't seem to have anything that's bothering you."

⠀⠀"Because I don't compare... _football_ to Quidditch in my time of rest," Laurel snarked, returning to her drawing.

⠀⠀"You know that's not what was really bothering me."

⠀⠀"Yes, I know," Laurel said exasperatedly. "I'm not stupid. You're just not telling me and you say I'm your best friend."

⠀⠀"I'll tell you when I'm ready," James said nonchalantly, fiddling with his glasses, not daring to look at her. He slipped then back on as she didn't respond, getting up from his seat, suddenly feeling tired.

⠀⠀"Leaving so soon?" Laurel asked nonchalantly.

⠀⠀"I've been sitting here, staring at the dying flames for about an hour, Rels," he said tiredly. Laurel looked up at the new nickname, a little flabbergasted. "I'm fucking tired."

⠀⠀" _Rels_?" Laurel asked, chuckling.

⠀⠀"You heard right," James said pridefully, fighting the urge to kiss her cheek good night. "Good night, _Rels_."

⠀⠀She rolled her eyes, but James could tell she was quite amused by the nickname. "Good night, James."

⠀⠀Then he was gone, leaving Laurel to stare into the glowing embers of all that was left of the fire, causing her to want more from him than just a newly created nickname that sounded like music in her ears.

⠀⠀Laurel glanced down at the sketchbook cradled in her lap, shocked to find out that her hand hadn't drawn the Black Lake. She cursed James inwardly, fighting the urge to rip out the drawing.

⠀⠀There he was, sitting on her paper, staring up at her, haunting her every time she closed her eyes, his smile memorized in the back of her mind, the way his nose would scrunch up and how his eyes would crinkle in the corners behind his glasses when he laughed. She didn't know whether she should hate him or love him.

⠀⠀Laurel, as always, chose the latter.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **JAMES AND LAUREL WERE** caught staring at each other during breakfast the next morning. They never held each other's gaze for too long, as if they were catching the gaze like a ball and throwing it back. Locking eyes was far too intense for Laurel to handle.

⠀⠀"Both of you," Evan snapped through a mouthful of cereal after ten minutes of James and Laurel's procession, "stop eye fucking each other."

⠀⠀"We're _not_ —"  
⠀⠀  
⠀⠀"Something happened last night," Dominique cut in through James, smirking at Laurel's slightly red cheeks, "didn't it?"

⠀⠀"Not of that sort," James snapped at her, glaring at Dominique and Evan through his glasses. 

⠀⠀"We were just talking," Laurel said, shrugging.

⠀⠀"If you don't believe us, ask the paintings," James said, sipping his pumpkin juice. "I think that if we were actually doing what you think we were doing, we would've woken them up."

⠀⠀Laurel snapped her head up and stared at James, her cheeks flushing red even more. She got up from her seat, grabbing her bag and running away with an excuse of how she left her essay in their dormitory.

⠀⠀"James, shut your bloody mouth for a sentence!" Dominique snapped as soon as her blonde friend was out of earshot.

⠀⠀"Why? I was being honest."

⠀⠀"Well, Laurel wasn't flattered by your honesty," Callen said, calmly. "You either explain to her or you've just lost her."

⠀⠀So with that, James got up as well, grabbing his shoulder bag and stuffing a piece of French toast in his mouth, running out of the Great Hall without needing the girls to chide him again. He ran through the corridors, weaving his way through students, his eyes finally spotting a familiar blonde in an empty corridor, standing alone, staring out the window.

⠀⠀James approached her slowly, joining her by staring out the large window. She didn't notice. He pulled out the French toast from his mouth, ripping off the piece that he hadn't bitten, handing it over to her.

⠀⠀"French toast?" he asked. She looked down at his offering hand, looked at him again, and then shook her head.

⠀⠀James shrugged, stuffing both pieces into his mouth before asking the question Laurel didn't really want to hear from him. "Why'd you leave?"

⠀⠀Laurel didn't answer at first, sighing. She really didn't know why she left, finding it hard to answer his question. What he said sounded so familiar, as if it were recalling a memory she had locked away a long time ago. _But James isn't him_.

⠀⠀The blonde leaned onto the railing that prevented students from falling onto the huge clock and the glass window in front of it, staring at her hands, sighing. Laurel stared out the window at the still morning, snow covering the castle grounds like a white blanket, a few footprints dotting the courtyard the window overlooked.   
  


⠀⠀"What you said...the way you said it...it just brought back unspeakable memories."

⠀⠀"Which I'm assuming you don't want to talk about?" James asked, leaning on the railing as well, looking at her closely.

⠀⠀Some of her curly blonde locks were tucked behind her ear (which today did not have strawberry earrings dangling off), revealing her freckled face, her slightly distant blue eyes, and her rosy lips. Her eyebrows were arched in a way that caused his heart to stir.

⠀⠀She was sad.

⠀⠀Laurel never struck James as a sad person. But how could one be human without feeling sad?

⠀⠀She shook her head at his question, her hair falling out of her ear. Habitually, Laurel tucked it behind her ear, turning to James with a slightly rueful smile. She met his brown eyes with her own, not realizing how close they had gotten, suddenly wanting to grab his scarlet and gold tie and kiss him.

⠀⠀"I've moved on," she said quietly, turning away before she could do anything regrettable. "But some things just feel like they've happened before. I don't want to bring them up and remind myself of the past. I can't move up in my future if I'm stuck in the past."

⠀⠀"You're right, Rels," James said, turning away from her as well, joining her as she looked out the window. "You're right."

⠀⠀They stood there for a while longer until students began to fill up the corridor, signaling the start of classes. They both had Potions together first, which they were partners in. Ever since their fifth year, they had been partners. Ever since their fifth year, James Potter had completely fallen for Laurel Scamander. Years before, it was just an inconsistent crush. 

⠀⠀They were the first students in class, which was surprising since they were usually some of the last ones. But then again, today they had gotten a head start. Taking their seats, they watched as Callen and Evan entered, sitting in the table in front of them. 

⠀⠀Class began and they were brewing a simple healing potion today, which was good for James, since he wasn't that great with Potions. Laurel, on the other hand, was bored.

⠀⠀"The lavender powder doesn't go in yet," Laurel said passively as James was just about to dump the a whole bowlful of it into their cauldron. "Beetle juice goes first."

⠀⠀Before James could respond, Evan and Callen turned around, smug looks plastered on their faces.

⠀⠀"See you two have bonded well," Evan said, wiggling his eyebrows. James and Laurel, as per usual, rolled their eyes.

⠀⠀"Yes," James said, sarcastically, "we bonded in a meadow of devil's snare."

⠀⠀"It wasn't a meadow, James," Laurel said boredly. James just threw her an unamused look.

⠀⠀"Is that going to be in your wedding vows?" Callen asked, a little too hopefully.

⠀⠀"Callen, what the hell?" James asked, narrowing his eyes as he threw his friend a confused look. Callen just laughed.

⠀⠀Laurel hadn't heard the last part, ignoring the lot of them, finishing the potion on her own. She was about to pass the class and she wasn't going to waste her time talking to her friends about somewhat irrelevant things. _Irrelevant_ , she scoffed in her mind. Since when was James ever irrelevant?

⠀⠀He had always been irrelevant until perhaps the beginning of last year. Even then he was still somewhat irrelevant. He never truly became relevant until this year. She chuckled again inwardly. Their mothers had been friends for years and it had taken her a good five years to actually even glance to him. And now, she was wondering if his feelings were mutual. 

⠀⠀Callen and Evan turned back around as soon as Professor Pines walked over, checking on his students' progress. While everyone was still struggling to count the right number of unicorn hairs for the potion, Laurel and James sat there boredly, fiddling with the lid of the cauldron. 

⠀⠀"Are you actually nervous that the potion isn't right?" James asked nonchalantly. "You're bloody brilliant at potions, Rels."

⠀⠀"Yes, but I'm bored," Laurel said, closing the lid and grabbing her pen to doodle. "I didn't think we'd finish so early."

⠀⠀"We make a great team, don't we?" James asked, nudging her shoulder. She chuckled dryly in response.

⠀⠀" _Sure_ ," Laurel replied. "A great team when I'm doing most of the work."

⠀⠀"Because you're good at potions," James flirted.

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, feeling her face heat up at the compliment. She glanced at him, finding his face quite genuine, laughing again as she turned away.

⠀⠀Five years. She inwardly yelled at herself. It took her five years to notice a boy like James. She regretted it ever so slightly.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **HER EYES FLEW OPEN.** She was covered in cold sweat as she bolted upright, her body shivering even though she was under three covers. _It wasn't real. It wasn't real._ She felt her face to make sure she was real with her trembling hands, her fingers digging into her blonde hair. Laurel sighed heavily, glancing over at her clock, only to find that it was around three in the morning.

⠀⠀She fell back against her pillow, closing her eyes once more. The images of her nightmare flashed across her eyelids — Liam trying to do unspeakable things to her, and then his face would suddenly turn into James', ravaging his unreasonably cold lips against hers.

⠀⠀Laurel figured then that she would probably not be able to fall asleep again. Pulling off her blankets and shivering at the sudden blast of cold air, she got up and pulled on a sweatshirt, grabbed her wand and her reading book, and headed down to the common room. Part of her expected James to be there, but she was met with the cold darkness of the common room, and the smell of a dying fire.

⠀⠀She turned on a light, ignoring the paintings' complaints, and tucked her legs in as she plopped down on the couch, flipping open her book. Laurel was glad for some alone time, but she really wanted someone just to sit there next to her and not do anything else except sit there. She didn't know where that desire had sprung up from; perhaps it was because she was tired, but didn't dare go to sleep, or she just wanted a certain someone to be there. 

⠀⠀As if on cue, she heard footsteps from the boys' staircase. She didn't bother looking up from her book, assuming it was just another sneaky first-year. But she was proven wrong as a familiar lanky figure plopped down next to her on the couch.

⠀⠀"Couldn't sleep?" he asked quietly, scooting closer to her on the couch, their shoulders brushing. His voice was all too familiar. She smiled as she recognized him. _James._ He was wearing a simple light blue tee and a pair of grey sweatpants, his black hair pointing in every possible direction, his glasses nowhere to be found, his wand lit.

⠀⠀She shook her head, closing her book before turning to look at James. "Nightmares. You?"

⠀⠀He chuckled, waving his lit wand. " _Nox._ Couldn't sleep either. But I didn't have nightmares."

⠀⠀"Then from what?" Laurel asked curiously, oblivious to how close they had gotten.

⠀⠀"Probably nerves for tomorrow's Quidditch game. Are you going to watch it or go into the woods and draw like you always do?" James asked, causing Laurel to roll her eyes at his assumption.

⠀⠀"I'll strike you a deal," Laurel said, smirking a little. "I stay for half the game and then I'll go draw the other half. Fair enough?"

⠀⠀"Fair enough," James said, grinning. She smiled back at him, but only briefly, turning away as she remembered why she was awake with him in the first place. James noticed, his grin disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "What's wrong, Rels?"

⠀⠀Her heart fluttered a little at the gentleness of his voice, as well as the way he said her nickname. "Nothing," she said quietly, shaking her head. "Nothing's wrong."

⠀⠀"It's okay," James said, facing her now, his voice as gentle as a butterfly's flutter. "It's okay to tell me."

⠀⠀"You asked," Laurel replied, facing him now, their faces as close as ever. She could feel his breath tingle her cheeks and he could see the gold of her eyelashes.

⠀⠀"Tell me," he pressed, his voice almost as low as a whisper. She flashed her blue eyes at him almost timidly, wrapping her sweater closer around her as she hesitated to respond.

⠀⠀"Liam...well, he was doing some... _really_ unspeakable things to me and I was trying to hold him off, but he just kept on going," she finally said, her voice just as low as his. "And that wasn't even the worst part, James. He turned...he turned into you."

⠀⠀"He— _what?_ " James asked, shocked. "Rels—"

⠀⠀"I know, it sounds _so_ far-fetched," Laurel said quickly, raising her hands for him to stop. "I don't know why he turned into you or why I was even dreaming about him, let alone turning into you—"

⠀⠀" _Laurel_ ," James cut into her rambling, "I would never do those things to you."

⠀⠀"I _know_ ," Laurel said, turning away from him and sighing a little. "It's just...I wish he and I had never been together in the first place. Maybe I wouldn't have dreamt of that."

⠀⠀"Yeah, but if you didn't dream that, then you wouldn't be here, talking to me," James said, a grin cracking onto his face.

⠀⠀"I hate to be the one to burst your ego, but not everything is about you," Laurel said, chuckling a little as James pretended to be offended.

⠀⠀James didn't respond to that, still grinning at her, turning away and fiddling with his wand. Suddenly, as all his thoughts appeared in his mind, he was curious about what Laurel's Patronus was.

⠀⠀"Rels? What's your Patronus?" he asked, turning to her.

⠀⠀She looked at him, pulling out her wand. "Want to see it?"

⠀⠀He nodded vigorously and she stood up, her wand out. She dug through her memories in her mind, summoning the happiest one she could find. It used to be a memory of when she was younger, when she had pillow fights with her brothers, except their father had magically filled their pillows with water, watering all the plants in their room. She had never felt joy in its purest form since then.

⠀⠀But now, thinking about it, she wondered. Her friends brought her such happiness in the past few weeks, especially that James. Maybe a little stress, but still joy. Just looking at him filled her with happiness, the way butterbeer made you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Suddenly, remembering him was like a tidal wave crashing over her, the image of him filling her senses. Laurel remembered how he smelled: like clean laundry, butterbeer, and freshly cut grass; she remembered the way the corners of his mouth quirked a little bit more to the left than the right when he smiled, and how sweet his voice was when he said her name —

⠀⠀" _Expecto Patronum_!" she exclaimed, watching excitedly as a bright blue light emerged from the end of her wand. It took a moment for it to form, the blue lights converging together to form a hummingbird, which began flying around her and around the room. She turned to him just to see him impressed at her. A warm feeling filled her insides as he beamed at her, standing up as well, his wand raised.

⠀⠀James thought long and hard while Laurel was casting her spell. What was his favorite memory? Perhaps it was when he won his first Quidditch game in his second year, being the youngest Chaser on the team at such a young age. Ginny had been so proud. But then he thought about it again. But then he realized, that _wasn't_ his happiest memory. Yes, it was one of them, but it wasn't his happiest.

⠀⠀Happy was a complicated word for James Potter. Yes, he did feel the joy spreading through him when he was with his friends, like his bones were all healed and unbreakable, his heart lifted, and his soul glowing. But it was temporary. Feelings are fleeting.

⠀⠀He smiled lazily as a thought appeared in his mind. Feelings are fleeting, but _Laurel_ wasn't. The best memory he had of her was her grin as he held her hands as they were skating around slowly, her grip so tight on his hands, he wondered if his fingers had merged together. She was laughing, her golden sun glazed hair hung out of her woolen hat then, caging her beautiful freckled face, her blue eyes looking into his, bringing him further and further under—

⠀⠀James didn't realize it, but he had shouted the spell loudly, a bright blue light erupting from the end of his wand. It took a little longer for his Patronus to form than Laurel's, which was still marching around the room; he supposed his memory wasn't as strong as hers, whatever hers had been. He waited patiently as his Patronus formed, turning into a Capuchin monkey, bounding over to him and sitting on his shoulder, only to hop up again and hang on the chandelier of the common room, swinging dangerously from it. Laurel laughed heartily, watching her Patronus take notice of the only other Patronus in the room.

⠀⠀Their Patronuses danced around each other for a few seconds, engulfing the room in wispy blue luminescent light, before vanishing completely into thin air. They both glanced back down from staring at the now dissipated Patronuses, staring at each other, smiling.

⠀⠀Curiousity got the better of him. "What was your happiest memory?" he asked her.

⠀⠀Laurel looked over at him, then moved to the couch to get her book to head off to bed, feeling much better about sleep. She smiled a little as he watched her closely, expecting an answer.

⠀⠀"It's a secret," Laurel said, smiling, walking towards the staircase to go to bed, leaving James to marvel at the enigma she had created of herself, just for him to unravel all on his own.


	11. THE WORLD

**LAUREL HAD BEEN HOME** for the holidays for about two days now, excitedly anticipating Christmas Day in all its glory that would be taking place tomorrow. Her friends had been sending letters and cards since she had come home; Evan sent a very generic Quidditch-themed Christmas card, with his father's autograph on it (as if Oliver Wood was _that_ famous); Asher sent a card by Muggle mail, which Luna had much trouble trying to figure out, asking why it only had one stamp, or something along the lines of that.

⠀⠀Roxanne sent her a glittering homemade card, which sang four Christmas carols. Lysander grew jealous her since her card was apparently more 'aesthetically pleasing' than his. Callen and Dominique had been writing her a letter everyday since they left for Christmas break (and her writing one too everyday); James also wrote everyday, since he apparently had 'so much free time' (lies), also sending a card from Ginny to Laurel, which the blonde had no idea why.

⠀⠀The Scamanders' had also been cordially invited to the Potters' annual Christmas party that night, that Ginny had insisted on hosting ever since her and Harry had gotten married. According to Luna, it used to be just what was left of Dumbledore's Army, a few of the Order of the Phoenix, and a few others at the party. Now it was those people, _and_ their families. Harry had to make a few accommodations to make their house larger just for this party. Thankfully, he had a wand, with a few magic tricks up his sleeve to help him (and Hermione, of course).

⠀⠀Laurel was with Dominique and Callen at the moment, at a Muggle store Callen had brought them to in the middle of a snow-covered London, just to find their dresses. The three of them had been invited (Callen for the first time), and they would be getting ready at Laurel's place before heading to the party with the Scamanders. Laurel didn't know how they were going to pay for their dresses, or how much sixty pounds in wizard currency was, but she assumed it was a lot by the look of Callen's eyes when she pulled out the dress she wanted. Or maybe it was just the dress itself that startled Callen. Dominique was used to it at this point, seeing Laurel's funky Christmas outfits. The only person in the Scamander family that wore something 'normal' was Rolf, but even then, who wore bright green and red striped wizarding robes to a party? 

⠀⠀Laurel had chosen a dress that covered every part of her body except her hands and her neck up. It was made of patterned cloth with a red flower design and lime green leaves with it. The sleeves were slightly translucent, and the dress reached the floor, the waist of the dress wrapped evenly around her waist. She didn't know if James would like it, but she couldn't care less. Laurel chose a pair of nude colored heels to go with it. She watched as Dominique chose the most skimpy dress she could ever be allowed wear.

⠀⠀It wasn't skimpy, but it was still too short for the winter. The black lace dress fell no further to her mid-thigh, with a high neck bodice without sleeves, held up by thin straps that crossed behind, revealing an open back. The black brought out her red hair, giving it such a stark contrast it was striking. She chose a pair of simple open-toes black heels to go along with it, as well as a cardigan in case she got cold. She probably would.

⠀⠀Callen chose a dress that was in between the extremes of her two other friends. It was made of black chiffon fabrics with red flowers patterned on it, reaching her mid thigh with long flowing sleeves. She wore a pair of black heels with it. Laurel knew Evan would love that dress. But he loved Callen in anything really, whether it be an old ugly Christmas sweater or her school uniform. 

⠀⠀They paid for their dresses and headed out of the store, walking towards the direction of what Callen claimed to be Diagon Alley, but everything looked the same (and more crowded) to Laurel. They finally got to the small alleyway that finally looked familiar to Laurel, Callen tapping the bricks three times as they were let into Diagon Alley. They would be Flooing back to the Scamanders from Weasley Wizard Wheezes, even though everything was about to be closed for the holidays. Dominique had her connections, of course. Laurel only had a connection if Roxanne was there, but Lysander and her were on a date for today so that was an obvious no. 

⠀⠀They headed into the store, pushing their way through rather large crowd of last minute shoppers, hearing the employees' frenzied voices over the shouting customers. They finally made it to the back of the store and into the storage area, Dominique looking around for her Uncle George.

⠀⠀"Hey, what are you g— _Dom?_ " they heard a voice behind them. They all whipped around, nearly knocking over a box of Ton-Tongue Toffees. Laurel saw a tall, light brown skinned boy with a stocky build, his eyes bright blue, his face covered in freckles, his coiled almost-auburn hair tied back with a hair tie.

⠀⠀"Fred!" Dominique exclaimed. "I was looking for your dad because we have to—"

⠀⠀"Floo? He told me, but he didn't tell me you'd be here with... _friends_ ," Fred said, eyeing the other two with a mischievous glint in his eye.

⠀⠀"They're off-limits, Freddie-boy," Dominique said tiredly. "Can you please—"

⠀⠀Fred seemed to be ignoring Dominique, looking closely at Laurel. "I've seen you somewhere before... _Oh!_ You're James' rumored girlfriend! How's that holding up?"

⠀⠀"We're not dating," Laurel said tiredly.

⠀⠀Before Fred could continue, Dominique jumped into action, scaring her cousin.

⠀⠀" _FREDERICK ARTHUR WEASLEY THE SECOND!_ " Dominique bellowed, causing Fred to jump and spaz out, knocking over not one box of Ton-Tongue Toffees, but multiple. " _STOP_ GOING FOR GIRLS WHO _DON'T_ LIKE YOU AND GET A BLOODY LIFE! Maybe you could start that life by getting us _OUT_ of here! We're running on a schedule here and that schedule _DOESN'T_ include you!"

⠀⠀"Merlin's _underpants_!" Fred exclaimed as soon as Dominique had stopped yelling at him. "Remind me to tell your future husband to not get you mad. Leave these in the box that says ' _KEYS_ '. You know the drill." He threw the keys at Dominique, who deftly caught it with a victorious smile on her face. Then he disappeared, leaving the other two girls in a slight daze.

⠀⠀"Sorry about that," Dominique said, walking towards the door that said ' _LOUNGE_ ', pushing the key into the lock and unlocking the door, shutting the door behind her as they all walked inside. She dumped the keys in a box that said ' _KEYS_ ', and the box seemed to go into the bright blue wall, disappearing into it. It was a cozy looking room, with a rug between the two blue couches that sat across from each other on hardwood flooring, a few plush cushions scattered across the room. There were few bookcases, as well as a fireplace on the wall across from the door, which Laurel and Callen began following Dominique towards.

⠀⠀A pot of Floo powder set on the mantle, the marble floor of the fireplace covered in green dust. They all grabbed a handful before getting into the fireplace one by one, shouting Laurel's address loud and clear. Before she knew it, Laurel was home, sprawled on the hardwood flooring, her father laughing at her.

⠀⠀"Be quiet, Dad," Laurel said, pulling off her jacket and dusting it in her father's direction as if it were revenge. The other two girls appeared as well, coughing themselves hoarse from the dust of the Floo Powder, greeting Rolf with hoarse voices as he laughed. Laurel watched as her mother appeared with wand in hand, making a quick wave at the cleaning broomstick to clean the dust that had gathered there when they Flooed back home. 

⠀⠀"The Quibbler just got a hundred more subscriptions today," Luna said excitedly after greeting Callen and Dominique, waving a letter around as she turned her attention away from the moving broomstick, plopping down on the sofa next to her husband, his free arm wrapped around her. Laurel took Callen and Dominique's coats, hanging them up on the coat rack by the door.

⠀⠀"Is it because of the Christmas special where they get singing calendars?" Rolf asked, flipping through his copy of the _Daily_ _Prophet_ , making faces every so often at what he thought as some ridiculous tabloid created by the Ministry, who was slightly better at governing now that Kingsley Shacklebolt took office, but Rolf was a man with a head full of conspiracy theories.

⠀⠀"Certainly," Luna replied simply. "Jemma worked so hard on those calendars, I don't even know how she did it."

⠀⠀"Maybe because you were too busy researching about Krumple Horned-Snorkacks, Mum," a slightly pained voice came from behind them from the entrance leading to the winding staircase to the second floor. They all turned and found Lysander, holding three potted plants in his arms, covered in a thick coat of dirt, his coat drenched. He looked slightly distressed, Lorcan coming in behind him, breathless, shutting the back door with a loud slam.

⠀⠀"What's the matter with you two?" Rolf asked as they all burst out laughing at twins.

⠀⠀"What's the _matter_?" Lorcan asked incredulously. "Did you not hear the nois— _never mind_. The garden gnomes were trying to eat our lavender plants and we fought with them—"

⠀⠀"—and they were throwing snowballs infused with dirt at us—" Lysander added with a slight matter-of-fact tone.

⠀⠀"—it's probably because they're grumpy about the _extreme_ weather outside—"

⠀⠀"—and want to come inside by eating our plants—"

⠀⠀"—which did _not_ work, by the way," Lorcan finished just as the doorbell rang.

⠀⠀Lysander jumped up, almost dropping the plants in the process. Luna quickly waved her wand to levitate them before they could smash to pieces on the floor, Lysander scrambling to his room as Laurel walked over to the door to answer it.

⠀⠀"Rox!" Laurel exclaimed as she opened the door, wrapping her arms around the dark freckled girl. She smelled of hot chocolate and sea salt, her wild coiled almost auburn dark brown hair tickling Laurel's face as she hugged back. Laurel wondered honestly when Roxanne would become a Scamander.

⠀⠀"Merry Christmas!" Roxanne exclaimed, as they pulled away. "Where's your brother?"

⠀⠀"Well, he sort of got attacked by—"

⠀⠀"Rox!" a voice came from behind them. Laurel turned and found Lysander slightly cleaner, his jacket off, a Christmas jumper thrown over him. He had a quirky smile on his face as he approached Laurel and Roxanne.

⠀⠀"What happened to you, Lys?" Roxanne asked, hugging him, her face implying that she regretted it immediately.

⠀⠀"What, no ' _hello, love_ '?" Lysander asked as they pulled away.

⠀⠀"Answer my question," Roxanne said, rolling her eyes as the rest of the family began to turn away from the couple, leaving the room to their devices, Lorcan poking Lysander in the back before disappearing upstairs. Laurel, Dominique, and Callen headed to Laurel's room to begin getting ready for the Christmas party. 

⠀⠀Laurel's room was the second largest in the house (second to her parents'), the walls painted in a pastel shade of yellow. The solar system was painted onto her ceiling, which glowed in the dark when the lights turned off, little dots shining to represent the stars, the sun shining brightly, the planets orbiting around it. Laurel had it up there for as long as she could remember; Luna had painted it when she found out she was pregnant with her.

⠀⠀A bookcase stood by her desk in the far right of the room, which sat in front of her window, overlooking their garden. Her four-poster queen-sized bed sat on the far left wall, a wardrobe and drawers for her clothes leaning on the wall across the door. Dozens of pictures were strung together on the wall overlooking her bed, with fairy lights dancing across the room. A lounging chair sat by the door, as well as a sleek, black piano that Laurel had been playing since she was five.   
  


⠀⠀"Those two will be the end of me," Dominique said as she shut the door behind her. "When are they getting married again?"   
⠀⠀"They're not," Callen chuckled as she pulled her dress out of her bag. "It's Victoire and Teddy that are getting married."  
⠀⠀" _Right_ ," Dominique said resignedly. "You know what I've been thinking about lately?"  
⠀⠀"What?" Callen and Laurel asked in unison.   
⠀⠀"Dating girls," Dominique said nonchalantly as she pulled out her dress and laid it on Laurel's bed. "I know I like boys, but I feel attracted to girls as well."

⠀⠀The other two girls were not surprised in he slightest. They always knew Dominique had a thing for girls. They were just waiting for a confirmation.

⠀⠀"Attracted or not attracted, you're still our best friend, Dom," Laurel said, smiling brightly at Dominique. "Being attracted to a certain sex doesn't determine your value to us."  
⠀⠀"So it's a no to Asher?" Callen asked, half jokingly.   
⠀⠀Dominque rolled her eyes, chuckling. "He and I don't have much chemistry, you know. He's a terrible conversationalist."  
⠀⠀"Maybe he doesn't know what to say because of you," Callen said, shrugging.   
⠀⠀"Maybe," Dominique said, wincing a little. "I do feel slightly attracted to him, but I don't want to lead him on."  
⠀⠀"Then you'd better not drink any Firewhiskey at all tonight," Laurel said, looking at her mirror, testing the dress. "Stupid things happen when you drink Firewhiskey."  
⠀⠀"I'll try," Dominique said, chuckling.   
  


⠀⠀Then they finally began to get ready for the party. After a few hours, dresses were on, makeup was applied, and hair was done. Laurel probably had the least amount of makeup, since she never really enjoyed the powder on her face. She did, however, manage with what Callen called 'eyeliner' and 'lipstick'. Her blue eyes seemed to be brighter and her lips turned red as roses. She decided to leave her blonde hair half up half down, pinning it with golden clips, throwing a small necklace into the mix. 

⠀⠀Roxanne had joined them, wearing a black dress, the bodice made entirely of lace, while the satin midi skirt was made of chiffon, a pair of black heels to match. Lysander, of course, loved it. 

⠀⠀Soon, they were all heading out, the twins and Roxanne Disapparating first as they were old enough and passed the test, while the other three girls side-Disapparated with Luna and Rolf. Luna took Callen and Dominique, while Laurel went with her father. Within a few seconds, they all arrived at the Potter house like all the years before. The house was familiar to Laurel, but this year, there was something different about it. Perhaps it was because of one person that was inside that made all the difference. 

⠀⠀Luna rang the doorbell, a bright smile on her face as Ginny answered the door, her flaming red hair tied up into a simple ponytail, with a silver dress that came up to her knees. Harry appeared as well, with dress pants and what looked like a blue Weasley sweater, with a huge yellow 'H' on it, a black tie tucked underneath with a white collar shirt. 

⠀⠀"Merry Christmas!" Harry and Ginny said, welcoming them in, met with the warmth of the house, and loud chatter. Laurel entered the house after getting a warm hug from Ginny, taking off her coat, placing it on the coat rack by the door. She looked around for James as she pulled bags of boxed and wrapped presents out of her Extendable charmed coat pockets. One for each of her friends, one unique to each of their personalities.

⠀⠀Laurel bought Evan three fantasy novels that she hoped he hadn't read yet, and Asher was gifted some mysterious potted plants and a hand drawn picture of cats (both of which he would love, according to James). Dominique would recieve a drawing of a big blue police box from her favorite Muggle TV show, where it was charmed to materialize every time Dominique would enter her room and dematerialize when she left, making the whirring sound that Laurel heard occasionally whenever Dominique spent study time watching the show. Laurel managed to fit fairy lights into a rather large glass jar for Callen, where every time Callen said ' _Lumos_ ', it would glow, and ' _Nox_ ' to turn it off.

⠀⠀Laurel knitted a grey hat for James. Ever since she noticed that he didn't have a hat, she began knitting him one. There was a detachable pom-pom as well, which was Laurel's favorite part of it. Along with the hat, she made a large white neon light sign that said her nickname for him in cursive letters. ' _PUDDING BOY_ '.

⠀⠀  
⠀⠀She placed them in the designated room full of presents, leaving Evan's in her coat pocket as they would be exchanging presents for the group of friends' Secret Santa after dinner. Following Dominique to their usual spot in the party, the ' _children's room_ ', where all the children were now teenagers, also known as the finely furnished basement. As the three of them descended the staircase, they found all three Potter-Weasley children, Granger-Weasley children, Louis Weasley, Evan, and Asher lounging on the couches or the floor of the large space. The twins and Roxanne were nowhere to be found.

⠀⠀The space was floored entirely with a shiny white marble, where her shoes clicked loudly on. There was a long table on the marble area, filled with food. The carpeted area was full of matching white couches, sofas, and ginormous bean bags that one could sit in. 

⠀⠀Evan was the first to notice the three new arrivals, gaping at Callen. James turned around to see what Evan was gaping at, since his house wasn't really _that_ interesting, only to find himself gaping as well, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly.

⠀⠀Laurel had never looked more beautiful. As if her dress wasn't already eye-catching in ways that didn't include exposure of her skin (like Dominique's), she seemed to be shining. Her golden hair fell into her face with an elegance that he wondered whether or not it existed. Her grin was quite wide as her eyes landed on him, Evan and Callen already back upstairs together. Dominique proceeded to walk past Asher, going straight to annoy her brother, Louis, who was already beginning to run away, leaving Laurel standing there by the staircase awkwardly.

⠀⠀James stood up from his seat, Laurel now noticing his outfit. He was dressed in dress pants like his father, a pair of black dress shoes on, his hair not done as per usual, donning a plain burgundy sweater (which was surprisingly not a Grandma Weasley sweater), a black tie and white collar shirt underneath. He would've looked so posh if it weren't for his hair, Laurel thought. Laurel caught the knowing glances from all the other children in the room, wondering if they knew something that she didn't.

  
⠀⠀"Hey," he said as he approached, the space between them closing, but not too close. "Merry Christmas, Rels."

⠀⠀"Merry Christmas, Pudding Boy," Laurel smiled as his eyebrows shot up in amusement at the nickname. "Like the nickname?"

⠀⠀"A lot," James said, chuckling. "Want some pudding? They have some upstairs."

⠀⠀"You should know the answer to that already," Laurel chuckled, causing James to smirk, grabbing her hand to pull her back up the stairs. She loved it when he held her hand.

⠀⠀He pulled her through the thicket of adults, his hand remaining tightly wrapped around hers, finally making it to the kitchen, where they had house elves bustling around with older Molly Weasley and Ginny running around as well.

⠀⠀"James, sweetie!" Molly exclaimed as she noticed the two teenagers at the doorway. The plump woman put everything down and walked over to them, throwing her arms around her grandson for a warm embrace, causing their hands to split. Laurel didn't mind, but as she looked at the two of them, she suddenly had a longing for her grandmother too. James threw her a pained smile as Molly hugged the living daylights out of him, causing Laurel to giggle a little.

⠀⠀"And _you_ must be the leading lady," Molly said as she detached herself from her grandson, her comment causing James to turn a bright shade of pink. "James always talks about you, dear."

⠀⠀"Grandma!" James exclaimed, his face turning darker. But Laurel was laughing.

⠀⠀"What did you tell her?" she asked, covering her mouth as she laughed. "How obsessed I am with painting?"

⠀⠀"Oh, yes, you seem to take it from your mother," Ginny chimed in, waving her wand, causing all the trays of cut cookie dough to go into the oven. "Are you going to be a magizoologist?"

⠀⠀"She's going to be a Healer, Mum," James said boredly, before Laurel could answer. She smiled inwardly; he remembered. "A brilliant one too."

⠀⠀"A Healer? Perhaps in St. Mungo's," Molly said, grinning at Laurel, who was smiling bashfully at James' last comment. "Unless you want to start your own St. Laurel's."

⠀⠀Everyone laughed at that, even the bustling house-elves. "What are you both here for?" Ginny asked finally, after the laughter died down.

⠀⠀"Pudding," the both of them said in unison.

⠀⠀"Just like your mother, I _swear_ ," Ginny muttered at Laurel, chuckling as she crossed the kitchen to pull out a whole two trays of them. "Why don't you two bring them to the dining hall?"

⠀⠀"Yes, ma'am," James said, saluting his mother before taking a tray, Laurel grabbing the other one and nodding politely. She followed James closely, walking towards the dining hall.

⠀⠀"I thought you were against having house-elves like slaves," Laurel whispered in James' ear so that no one around them could hear. They placed the trays on the sweets table, which was lit in fairy lights and singing toy Christmas elves (or at least what the Muggles thought as elves).

⠀⠀"Exactly," James said, grabbing her wrist to pull her away from an incoming influx of house-elves with many trays. "My mum pays them all monthly. They're all free elves. You think my mother would be best friends with my Aunt Hermione if we had house-elves like slaves?"

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "How much money does your family have again?"

⠀⠀"More than enough to feed that many house-elves and five people," James said, grinning as he again whisked her away into some unknown room in the house, a cup of pudding in her hand. Laurel had never really explored the house even though it was probably her fourteenth time being here. She just stuck with Dominique in the basement for the entire night, never bothering to explore the house, thinking that it was too overpopulated for her comfort. She also didn't want to rudely trespass a room that wasn't supposed to be for her.

⠀⠀"Where are we going, James?" Laurel asked, confused.

⠀⠀"Well, I figured you wanted a tour around the house. Right?" he asked as they stopped at the end of a corridor with a long window that overlooked the snow covered garden. There were candles on the windowsill, giving Laurel a cozy feeling she loved during the holidays.

⠀⠀"Yeah, of course. I hate dancing," Laurel said, jabbing her thumb behind her at the ballroom, where her parents were happily dancing way off beat to the music.

⠀⠀"We'll get to that later," James teased, much to her reluctance, grabbing her hand, pulling her through another hallway that was surprisingly empty. "First up, my father's study. It's forbidden to the three of us for some reason and only Mum can go in there. Lils says it's probably because he doesn't want us to steal his invisibility cloak. Al thinks it's because our parents fu— _never mind._ I'm sure my dad has his cloak locked up in his office back at the Auror Headquarters."

⠀⠀The room was rather large as Laurel peered in through the door. It was painted white, except one wall was made up completely of shelves shaped like squares, with pictures, books, vases, and all sorts of things filling them up. A desk sat in front of those shelves, as well as a chair, with a peacock quill inside it's ink jar, papers scattered across the desk. A large window stood on the right side of the room, curtained by white chiffon fabric. People would kill to see Harry Potter's study and here Laurel was, hand in hand with his eldest son, looking straight into it.

⠀⠀Before she could push herself further in, James pulled her away to the next room, causing her to almost trip on her heels. They visited his parents' bedroom, the four guest rooms and four other study rooms, the rather large family library, their old nursery, the house-elf quarters (which had little beds that Laurel found herself crooning over), Lily's bedroom, Albus' bedroom, and finally, James' bedroom, where they stayed.

⠀⠀It was a larger bedroom, enough to fit all six of them friends inside comfortably in sleeping bags on the floor. His room was a very, very pale blue, almost in distinct to the eye unless you looked closer. He had one wall full of photos and what looked to be written works, clipped or taped on sloppily. Another wall was full of wizard rock and Quiditch team posters, with more photos plastered around. The room was floored with white carpet, as well as a window that took up the entire wall on the opposite end of the room from the door.

⠀⠀The space was dimly lit by multicolored Christmas lights, dangling off of his window curtain holder, giving the room a cozy feeling. His unmade queen-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, his closet implanted into the wall on the left of the bed, the window to the right. His desk resided next to the window on the wall covered in photos and writing snippets, his trunk lying on the ground, covered in a heap of clothes. 

⠀⠀"Sorry about that," James said, letting go of Laurel's hand, leaving her at the doorway to go and clean up his trunk. He quickly threw his clothes inside, slamming it shut, looking up to find Laurel by the large window, looking interestedly at his multicolored Christmas lights.

⠀⠀"Is my room your favorite?" James asked smirking, joining her after pulling off his stuffy sweater and shutting the bedroom door.

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, taking her eyes off of the fairy lights, turning to him. They locked eyes, and for a moment there, the blonde wondered if he would kiss her. But not unexpectedly, he didn't.

⠀⠀She shook her head. "I think Lily's is my favorite. It's the cozier one and she knows how to keep things neat. Albus isn't that great at that clearly."

⠀⠀"I'm so sorry about him having his underwear strewn all over the floor," James said, shaking his head, causing Laurel to laugh. 

⠀⠀"Well, he wasn't expecting any visitors to his room," Laurel chuckled, turning away from the large window towards the wall filled with photos and snippets of what looked like lined parchment paper.

⠀⠀"Don't tell anyone about this tour," James said, his voice lowering as he followed Laurel, who was running her hands through the photos. "It'll be our little secret."

⠀⠀"We have many secrets," Laurel mused, her eyebrows quirking as she smiled mischievously, turning around from her tour of the photos.

⠀⠀"Sleeping together is definitely not one of them," James replied, matching her grin.

⠀⠀"Oh, you know what I mean," Laurel said, rolling her eyes, turning back to the pictures. Suddenly, one caught her eye.

⠀⠀It was a picture of two small children. One was a girl not older than three years old dressed in overalls and a pink flower patterned t-shirt, with short golden curls bouncing around her freckled face, her blue eyes complementing the bright smile she held. Laurel noticed the girl was wearing a cork necklace. The other was a boy with unkept black hair, with a purple tee that sported ' _HOLYHEAD HARPIES_ ' on it, along with a pair of moss green shorts, his brown eyes fixed on the wooden bird toy sitting in his female companion's chubby hands that he had just handed to her. He looked up at the camera and grinned, his chubby cheeks filling the photo as he jumped up at the camera. 

⠀⠀"Is that—is that us?" Laurel asked incredulously, taking the photo off of the wall and sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at it. She remembered the overalls and the bright pink shirt. "How is it that I've never seen this picture?"

⠀⠀"I found it in one of our storage rooms while looking for photos to hang up on this wall," James said, taking a seat next to her to look at the photo as well. "I recognized you as soon as I saw it."

⠀⠀"How?" Laurel asked, looking up at him, not realizing how close they were until that moment.

⠀⠀"That," the four-eyed boy said, pointing at the cork necklace wrapped around the little blonde girl's neck. "You wore it a lot last year."

⠀⠀"You noticed," Laurel smiled, wanting to kiss him at that very moment, glancing down back at the photo. "I didn't think people noticed much or at all really."  
  


⠀⠀James suddenly wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to confess to her, to tell her how he always noticed, how he loved her, every freckle on her face, every golden lock of hair on her head, and her devastatingly beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to grab her face and kiss her full on the lips then, to do _something_ that would make him feel justified in the situation.

⠀⠀But he didn't. 

⠀⠀"Of course I noticed," James said, chuckling softly. "You're a very noticeable person."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "They didn't call my mother Loony Lovegood for nothing."

⠀⠀"So? It doesn't mean you're crazy," James said, shrugging. "I like you the way you are. We like you the way you are."

⠀⠀Laurel smiled at him, her blue eyes once again fixated into his. "I'm so glad I have you, James."

⠀⠀As soon as the words left her mouth, he couldn't control himself any longer. He leaned forward, his lips meeting her soft cheek. It was gentle, like a feather landing softly on the ground. There was no mistletoe for him to kiss her, but her words hung in the air, and it was much better than mistletoe. Besides, if James learned anything from Laurel's constant mystical creature babbles in the school library, it was that mistletoe was full of nargles.

⠀⠀She didn't pull back. In fact, Laurel giggled, which was completely out of her character. James let his kiss linger for a millisecond longer, pulling back to see a slightly surprised Laurel.

⠀⠀"Why'd you do that?" Laurel asked quietly, her voice uneven, noticing that their faces not far from each other. Their stare was so intense, Laurel wondered if James could hear her heartbeat, for it was so loud and quick it was all she could hear other than James' slightly uneven breathing. They were inching closer and closer together in a painfully slow speed, as if waiting for the other person to finish the job. But neither would.

⠀⠀The words James whispered sent Laurel into a whirlpool of emotions; she was melting, yet she felt impossibly whole, she was suffocating, yet she felt like she could finally breathe, all because of seven words strung together by his suddenly eloquent tongue. 

⠀⠀"Because you mean the world to me."

⠀⠀She could feel his warm breath on her face, sending tingles down her spine the way his touch had the night they were caught in devil's snare. Her cheeks flared even in the dimly lit room, her stomach surging, her heart beating so quickly she wondered how she was alive. His lips brushed against hers, gently, like the way you'd put a baby to bed, and she wondered, for the briefest moment, what his kisses were like, if they'd snog (which sounded pleasant and not at the same time), or what would happen after if they stayed on his bed—

⠀⠀The bedroom door flew open with a bang before their lips could go any further, shocking them both, causing them to jerk away from each other so quickly, she wondered whether it was a good thing or not. Their heads whipped to the doorway in a neck-breaking speed, only to find a skinny red-headed girl wearing a gold dress, a smirk plastered on her face.   
  


⠀⠀"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, glancing between the two sitting rather close on the bed, crossing her arms and leaning on the doorframe. She looked very much like Ginny. "It's dinner time anyway."

⠀⠀"Not exactly," Laurel replied, her voice uneven as she stared at the girl with a meek smile.

⠀⠀"Bloody _hell_ , Lils," James said, his voice slightly irritated. "You could've knocked."

⠀⠀"Yeah, so, what—give you more time to knock _someone_ up?" Lily eyed Laurel with a smirk, who averted her gaze and hoped her cheeks weren't the color of Lily's hair. "At least that's what the Americans say."

⠀⠀"Lily Luna Potter, I'm _going_ to kill you," James hissed playfully, causing Lily to squeak and make a run for it, James bolting out of his room door as well, leaving Laurel to laugh.

⠀⠀Laurel stayed for a little longer, the photograph still sitting in her hands. She got up to place the photo back on the wall, her eyes glancing over the little snippets of writing he had hung up. One specific writing caught her eye, pulling it off the wall gingerly. It was titled ' _L. P. S_.' and she wondered why he would hang something up like this in plain sight.

  
⠀⠀Her eyes read over his neat print, wondering how such words could go through his mind. He certainly didn't speak like this in real life.   
  


⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ _L. P. S._  
⠀⠀ _It's like a knife in the heart whenever she kisses him, and you wonder if he actually loves her the way she loves him because he doesn't kiss her back with the same enthusiasm. He isn't good for her and she deserves better. I'm not saying I would be a better match, but I_ _know_ _she deserves better whether that be me or not._  
⠀⠀ _She's got a head full of imagination and eyes that resemble the sea, for me to drown in even though I know how to swim. Her hair looks like it was dipped in gold and her laugh is like that of a lark._  
⠀⠀ _Unrequited love is painful. There are moments where you think you would actually have a chance with that person, but it just never happens. She doesn't even know I exist and it hurts like hell._

⠀⠀ _Of all the things I do for love, I really hope she's worth it. She means the world to me._

_J. S. P._

⠀⠀Unable to control her emotions, Laurel crumpled up the paper into a ball in her hand, squeezing it, finding it hard to breathe.

⠀⠀Then she left his room, the paper still in her hand.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**CHRISTMAS DINNER WAS SPLENDID** as per usual. The kids ate in the basement, lounging in couches, chairs and the carpeted floor, cracking stupid jokes, empty butterbeer bottles on the floor. After that, Laurel's group of six friends excused themselves to James' room for their little gift exchange.

⠀⠀They all sat around in a misshapen circle in the space between James' bed and his window wall, Laurel wasn't looking at James the entire time in rememberance of what had happened earlier. But she was fully aware that James was staring at her. She couldn't meet his eyes.

⠀⠀It wasn't that the situation was awkward or anything. It was just that they both had been so vulnerable in that one moment and something could've happened, but didn't. Now they knew each other's secret, but were far too scatterbrained at the moment to confront each other about it.

⠀⠀"Why don't we go around and try to guess our Secret Santas?" Callen suggested, drawing Laurel out of her thoughts. "I'll go first. I'm going to guess...Ash?"

⠀⠀Asher shook his head as everyone laughed. "Two more guesses, Callen."

⠀⠀"I know," Callen replied, rolling her eyes, scanning the five of them to see who would give themselves away. "Dom?"

⠀⠀"Dammit," Dominique said as the room erupted in laughter at her reaction. "Yes. I'm your Secret Santa."

⠀⠀"You're a terrible actress, Dom," James said, earning a pillow to the face from Dominique, knocking his glasses off his nose.

⠀⠀Then it was Dominique's turn to guess. The process went on from her (Evan was her Secret Santa), to Asher, who had gotten a present from James, to Laurel, who had gotten something from Asher, and finally to James, who recieved a present from Callen. Laurel recieved a huge thank you from Evan for the fantasy novels, and she thanked Asher for the beautifully handcrafted leather bound set of Herbology books. They all began comparing each other's presents, coming to a conclusion that Callen's instant camera was the best one. Laurel then remembered that she brought presents for everyone, bolting up and down the stairs to grab them.

⠀⠀Once Laurel handed them out to them all, they all began heading to the ballroom; Callen with Evan, and Dominique with Asher (just to test the waters, according to Callen), leaving James and Laurel to their own devices. 

⠀⠀They sat awkwardly on the window seat, watching people twirl around to the classical music. Laurel couldn't take the silence, it was suffocating and she wanted him to say something. 

⠀⠀"Did you like your present?" Laurel asked finally.

⠀⠀James chuckled. "The pudding boy sign is by far the best thing I've ever recieved."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed heartily, feeling the tension between them dissipate. "It took awhile to make but I thought you would like it."

⠀⠀"What did Asher get you?" James asked out of curiosity, finally looking at her. She was still gazing into the blur of dancers, unaware of the pair of brown eyes that couldn't pull themselves away from her.

⠀⠀"He got me this huge set of Herbology books," Laurel chuckled. "Said I would need it to become a Healer."

⠀⠀"Well, you do, so he's right about that," James said, grinning. "You know what you should've done? You should've put 'pudding boy' on the hat."

⠀⠀Laurel finally looked at him, her eyebrows drawn together in amusement and puzzlement. "Why do you say that? I thought you wouldn't like it."

⠀⠀"I probably wouldn't have," James said thoughtfully. "But if I learned anything from you, it's to not give a flying fuck about what people think."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "I taught you that?"

⠀⠀"Yes, you did."

⠀⠀"I can't believe after around twenty Herbology tutoring classes with me, that's all you learned," Laurel teased with a small smirk forming on her lips.

⠀⠀James rolled his eyes. "Look, Rels, I got an Exceeds Expectations on the last exam, so you should be proud of me. I was stressed over that bloody exam."

⠀⠀"I am, I am," Laurel said, head butting his shoulder, laughing as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm very proud of you, happy?"

⠀⠀"Gladly," James said, leaning his head against hers, her soft hair cushioning his cheek. They stayed that way for awhile, sitting in comfortable silence, enjoying the music that was playing.

⠀⠀"Rels," James spoke suddenly, Laurel lifting her head off his shoulder,"about earlier—in our—I mean, my room—sorry about—"

⠀⠀"James," Laurel cut in, "it's fine. If you think there's anything you need to apologize for, you're wrong. There's really nothing."

⠀⠀"You sure?" James asked, their eyes locking.

⠀⠀Laurel hesitated for a moment. Was it really nothing? That they had almost kissed? That something more could've happened if they actually had? Of course it was nothing. 

⠀⠀"I'm sure," Laurel said, forcing a smile, hoping James didn't see through. But in the back of her mind, she knew he did.

⠀⠀James chose to believe Laurel and nodded, standing up, his hand outstretched. "May I have this dance, Lady Scamander?"

⠀⠀Laurel rolled his eyes at his sudden chivalrous etiquette, placing her hand in his, sending tingles down her spine and through her body. His touch was almost electric. And she couldn't figure out whether she had fallen in love with the feeling or was going to hate it. For now, she went with the former.

⠀⠀"Always, Sir Potter," Laurel said as he helped her up, whisking her onto the dance floor. His hand held onto her waist, her hand on his shoulder, the free hands together. They began to dance to the playing song, spinning around, talking, forgetting about the rest of the world. 

⠀⠀"I thought you would say no," James said as he spun her around for the twentieth time.

⠀⠀"Well, Dom told me never to tell James Sirius Potter what to do," Laurel said teasingly, "so I followed her advice."

⠀⠀"Did she really tell you that?" James asked, laughing. She nodded. "I can't believe her."

⠀⠀Laurel shrugged. "Even so, I think I would've said yes."

⠀⠀"Why?"

⠀⠀"You're a special one," Laurel said, grinning, "that's why."

⠀⠀James just smiled in response, finding himself at a loss of words to what she had just said. He knew he was special, but he didn't think she thought of him as that. He looked into her blue eyes, his heartbeat rising; he wondered if she could hear it. He had a sudden urge to kiss her again, maybe to fix what Lily messed up on earlier. But there were people around and he had to factor in his name, _Potter_. Merlin, if they kissed like that in public, the press would never let him go until they were with _grand_ children. 

⠀⠀Of course James wanted to marry Laurel. He didn't want to jump the gun, obviously, because he didn't want to find himself in complete and utter devastation if they didn't work out, nor did he want her to be in so much trouble with the press if they didn't work out. His name held an aspect of power and publicity that not many people understood, and James didn't want to burden Laurel with that. He wasn't sure if she'd be ready to take on that challenge. 

⠀⠀"Special," James finally said, more to himself than Laurel. "I didn't think you thought of me that way."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled quietly, looking him in the eyes again, hitting him so hard. "A lot of people misunderstand me," she said, shaking her head. "But you're one of the few people that understands me the most."

⠀⠀"What makes you think that?" James asked curiously, his voice quiet and gentle so that the conversation could only be heard between the both of them.

⠀⠀"Well," Laurel said, thoughtfully, "you really love making people happy. You love to make people laugh and you love it when they smile because of you. You never want to see sad people because it makes you sad."

⠀⠀James looked away from Laurel's eyes and at her lips for a brief moment, before flicking to the necklace she wore. It was a small silver necklace that wouldn't be that noticeable unless you were close in proximity to her. It held a little silver leafy ring in the middle, the rest of the necklace consisting of the metal silver chain. He couldn't quite place what the charm was until it finally hit him—a laurel.

⠀⠀"I'm the same," she continued, unaware of his wandering eyes. "I love to make people happy. Don't you feel all bubbly and fuzzy on the inside when someone smiles because of something you said? Or is that just me?"

⠀⠀James' eyes flicked back to hers, grinning. "We're too similar."

⠀⠀"And yet, we have so many differences," Laurel said, her eyes now wandering his face.

⠀⠀"Opposites attract, am I right?" James asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Laurel rolled her eyes, chuckling, shaking her head.

⠀⠀"You'd think," she said, her voice slightly sadder than before, her eyebrows furrowed, looking down at their shoes, memories flooding back into her mind. "It didn't really work the last time."

⠀⠀James realized what she was referring to, smacking himself mentally. God, why did he have to remind her? _Stupid stupid stupid stupid._

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," James said gently, so softly Laurel wondered if he had even said it.

⠀⠀She looked up, smiling ruefully. "It's okay."

⠀⠀For a moment, they didn't speak, swaying to the music, staring into each other's eyes. Laurel could feel his uneven breath on her face, wondering how much more intense the stare could get. She couldn't look away; the intensity of his brown eyes reminded Laurel of uncharted territory, territory that she very much yearned to explore. She never truly noticed how light brown his eyes were, or how there were small gold specks in them, scattered in moderation in his eyes. They were so beautiful. 

⠀⠀James loved to stare in her eyes. The ocean of her blue eyes were the only things he would allow himself to drown in. He loved to look at her. She was like a piece of artwork, beautiful, rare, and highly valuable. He knew she probably didn't think of herself that way, but he so desperately wanted to tell her, to tell her she was beautiful, to tell her everything he was keeping in the bottle of his heart. It was about to burst. 

⠀⠀Laurel didn't know how long they danced for, or how much time they spent just staring at each other, but she did know one thing.

⠀⠀She was falling in love again. 

⠀⠀By the time the clock chimed midnight, half the people were gone, including Callen and Asher. Everyone else was still there, cracking Christmas jokes and eating the rest of the food. Before she knew it, it was her turn to leave.

⠀⠀"I'm actually sad you're leaving," James said, walking her to the entrance, chuckling a little. "Tonight was...fun."

⠀⠀She smiled, pulling on her jacket, grabbing all the presents she recieved. Laurel was about to leave when James caught her by the arm.

⠀⠀"I forgot to give this to you earlier," he said, pushing a brilliantly wrapped box into her hand, patting it, not daring to look her in the eye. "I think you'll like it."

⠀⠀Laurel grinned, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, James."

⠀⠀Then, as no one was watching the both of them, she kissed him on the cheek, catching him by surprise. It was a little more rough than his had been, but it still meant the same.

⠀⠀"Why'd you do that?" James asked quietly as she pulled back.

⠀⠀Laurel looked him straight in the eye, the corners of her mouth twitching into a hint of a smile.

⠀⠀"Because you mean the world to me."

⠀⠀James found himself at a loss for words, staring at her. Noticing this, Laurel wasted no time in continuing her rapid thoughts.

⠀⠀"Visit me in two days?" she asked quietly, not noticing the redness growing in his face.

⠀⠀"Of course," James said, grinning a little sheepishly from the kiss, but also from the suggestion.

⠀⠀Laurel smiled, squeezing his hand across the threshold of the front door, with her family calling loudly for her to hurry up, letting go slowly, wondering how much more different the night might've gone if Lily hadn't interrupted.   
  


⠀⠀And then, in such a sudden timing as the door shut behind her, the night was over.


	12. DANCING WITH AN ANGEL

**OVER THE NEXT TWO** days, Laurel had been contemplating over how different the situation would've been if they had actually kissed. She, of course, told no one about this little thing between them, not even her friends. It was her little secret with James, and this one _wasn't_ going to get out. Lily would probably tease James about it, but she wouldn't do it in public. Laurel knew that. With their last name, they were better off keeping their mouths shut.

⠀⠀She sat in her bed, flipping through the detailed drawings of Asher's gift of leather-bound handmade Herbology books, wishing they were in color. It was a difficult read, but it was enlightening. She loved it so much.

⠀⠀As interesting as Asher's books were, Laurel couldn't focus. Her eyes kept wandering to the crinkled piece of paper that sat on her desk, the piece of paper she had been reading over and over again for the past two days. She was still in slight denial that James had written about her with such eloquence and sophistication. She didn't think he was capable of that, since he wasn't so great with Herbology terms or essays. Laurel found it quite odd that it was suddenly so difficult for her _not_ to think about James Potter. 

⠀⠀

⠀⠀  
⠀⠀Girls at Hogwarts always swooned over him. He was handsome, attractive, and the son of a war hero — who, not surprisingly, was more of a celebrity than that. Laurel could agree with them on most parts, but she didn't think out of all those girls, James would've chosen her. It was like choosing the rose with the most thorns from the bush; she was so scared she'd hurt him.   
  
  


⠀⠀There came a soft knock on her door, breaking her from her thoughts, revealing her mother's grey eyes and messy blonde bun with her wand stuck through, with two boxes in her hands. She was wearing brightly colored wizard robes, which looked like patches of other fabrics threaded together, a pair of radish earrings hanging from her ears, her hands splattered in paint. 

⠀⠀"Mum?" Laurel asked as her mother entered the rooms, plopping down on her bed with the two boxes. "What's the matter?"

⠀⠀"Your favorite teacher, Professor Longbottom sent a present to you," Luna said simply, waving one box wrapped in dancing snowmen wrapping paper. "Sweet of him, isn't it?"

⠀⠀Laurel just nodded, grabbing ahold of Professor Neville's box, which had ' _DO NOT SHAKE_ ' written on the top, in big letters. Luna placed the small square box in front of her daughter, her body language giving off a slightly reluctant aura. Laurel wondered why.

⠀⠀"This is a present from your father and I," Luna said, a smile cracking onto her face. "It's a family heirloom. From my side, of course. I thought, since you're turning seventeen this year, I might as well give it to you early."

⠀⠀"For Christmas?" Laurel asked, chuckling. "Not for my birthday?"

⠀⠀"It was your father's idea," Luna said nonchalantly, like she was asked this question countless times before. "Open it."

⠀⠀Laurel did, tearing through the silver blue wrapping paper, finding a clear, small, square box, a necklace placed neatly on the inside. It was made up of a gold chain, with two charms: one of a gold rose with all its leaves and its stem, the other a gold crescent moon encrusted with very small crystals.

⠀⠀"Mum, it's beautiful," Laurel said, opening the lid of the box, taking the necklace out. "I've never seen you wear it."

⠀⠀"Of course you didn't," Luna said, chuckling. "You know you're oblivious to everything."

⠀⠀Laurel shrugged. "Like Dad, I reckon. Lorc notices _everything_. A bit like you."

⠀⠀Luna chuckled as someone else knocked on the door, harsher than Luna had. "That's your father, probably."

⠀⠀"Can I come in, Little Leaf?" Rolf's voice resounded through the door.

⠀⠀"Yes," Laurel replied, the door opening right as she uttered the words.

⠀⠀"Your mother got here before me, I see," Rolf said, marching into the room. He was tall, standing a foot taller than Luna, with a pair of blue eyes that matched Laurel's. Rolf had auburn hair, which none of his children had received (he was slightly bitter about that), wearing the brightest pair of green Christmas pajama pants, with Christmas elves patterned across it, and a white shirt.

⠀⠀"Hey Dad," Laurel said as her father fell into the lounging chair by her window in her room, playing with the wooden toys that sat on her windowsill.

⠀⠀"Do you like your present?" he asked, fiddling with a wooden bird that he had carved for Laurel when she was younger. "It's not much but—"

⠀⠀"I love it," Laurel said, grinning. "It's wonderful, Dad."

⠀⠀Rolf smiled warmly, tossing the bird Laurel's way, her catching it. The wooden bird looked oddly familiar from somewhere recent, but she couldn't quite remember. "I'm glad you do."

⠀⠀They sat in comfortable silence until Laurel broke it. "If I got an heirloom, what did Lorc and Lys get?"

⠀⠀"Lorc got your great-grandad's old pocket watch," Luna said, simply. "Lys got your grandpa's dagger."

⠀⠀"What did Granddad need with a dagger?" Laurel asked, chuckling at how their heirlooms were on completely different points of the spectrum. "Didn't he have a wand?"

⠀⠀"Yeah, but he never told me exactly what or why," Rolf shrugged. "If anything, I used it to carve half of these wooden toys coincidentally the day before you were born."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled. "That's not a normal carpenter's tool."

⠀⠀"That's what makes these toys so special," Rolf said, standing up and tapping Laurel's nose. It was a thing he had done to her ever since she was born, and she wasn't about to grow out of it.

⠀⠀Laurel grinned up at her father, both of her parents beginning to leave her room.

⠀⠀"We'll leave you to your Herbology studies," Luna said, smiling as her husband pulled her out of the room. "Oh! The necklace keeps the Nargles away."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed as the door shut behind them, picking up the necklace. It really was beautiful. She quickly latched it around her neck, feeling the cold metal rest on the warm skin under her shirt. Then she continued to read her books, planning on finishing this section before going to her art room, where she would use James' present for the first time: watercolors.

⠀⠀It wasn't some magic set of watercolors that one would get in the small art section in Flourish and Blotts. It was a full box of different tubes of watercolor paint, the Muggle version. Laurel never got around to go to London to buy some, but now she didn't have to, since James had gotten her a whole set of at least fifty tubes of watercolor paint and a set of five brushes. And to think all she got him was a hat and a neon lights sign...

⠀⠀As soon as she finished, she tied up her blonde hair into a ponytail, then ran towards the art room, pulling on her blue flannel and smock, passing Lysander's closed door, not wanting to know what was happening inside with Roxanne.

⠀⠀After entering the art room and turning on some soft wizard rock music, she jumped towards the new box of her watercolors, pulling out a clean sheet of white paper, knowing exactly what she was going to paint: koi fish.

⠀⠀The art room used to be the children's playroom, until they grew out of it and Laurel gradually turned it into what she called ' _The Art Room_ '. Ever since, her family would call it that.

⠀⠀It was a room with three bare white walls, the other wall made up entirely of glass, overlooking the backyard and the woods behind it. The room was floored with hardwood, which was usually covered in newspaper, otherwise Rolf would go off about how it was hard to wash wooden floors, even with magic. Unfinished projects sat on one table, while finished ones hung on the walls or around the house. An easel stood in one corner, while a messy table with clean, but used, paint palettes and blank canvases stacked on top, sat by the door, with three chairs folded up nearby. It was Laurel's safe haven, and she rarely let anyone inside (her mother being practically the only person).

⠀⠀She was just about to squirt out her paint into a clean paint palette, when she heard a knock on the art room door.

⠀⠀"Laurel," her mother's voice was heard through the door, "you have a visitor."

⠀⠀"Oh right!" Laurel exclaimed, almost dropping her paintbrush. She had completely forgotten that she told James to come for a visit. She jumped up and opened the door, finding her mother with a slightly disheveled James standing there. He was covered in Floo powder. "Hi, James."

⠀⠀"Well, I'll leave you to it," Luna said, smiling slightly at her daughter, excusing herself quickly.

⠀⠀Then it was just James and her. He was wearing a blue button down, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with a pair of jeans, his glasses again nowhere to be found. Smiling at him, Laurel grabbed his arm, pulling him inside quickly, coating his arm in orange paint.

⠀⠀"Sorry about that," Laurel said, throwing him a wet towel as she returned to her painting on the table. "Also, excuse the messy room, art can get _very_ messy."

⠀⠀"It's okay," James said, walking over to where she was, wiping off the paint on his arm. "I see you've begun on my Christmas present."

⠀⠀"It's wonderful," Laurel said, grinning widely. "That's why you get the first painting I paint with them."

⠀⠀"Which will be of?" James asked curiously, seating himself next to her on one of the chairs by the table she was working on.

⠀⠀"Koi fish," Laurel said simply, already beginning to form the fish on her paper.

⠀⠀James just shrugged in response, taking her answer. He figured if he retorted, he probably wouldn't get a painting at all. As she was mixing paints, his eyes scanned around the room. It looked vaguely familiar in his memories from years ago.

⠀⠀"Wasn't this the playroom before?" James asked. He pointed at the windows, memories flooding into his mind. "There used to be paper snowflakes on those windows when we were younger, even in the summer, right?"

⠀⠀"You remember that?" Laurel asked, stopping her paint mixing, impressed at James' memory.

⠀⠀"Yeah," James nodded, continuing to look around. "What happened to all the wooden toys that were in like a box over there? The bird's my favorite."

⠀⠀"It's in my room," Laurel said casually, returning to her paints. "All of them are."

⠀⠀"Can we go see them?" James asked, nudging laurel's shoulder.

⠀⠀Laurel turned to look at him, her eyes humorously calculating. "Are you trying to get into my room?"

⠀⠀"No—"

⠀⠀"Doesn't matter," Laurel cut in, rolling her eyes. "You're not going in there anyway. I'll be right back."

⠀⠀Before James could respond, Laurel was already out the door, shutting it behind her. She rushed to her room, scooping all the wooden toys off the windowsill and into her apron pockets, holding the wooden bird.

⠀⠀Laurel hurried back to the art room because she didn't know what James would be doing in there with her paintbrushes as she knew he would touch everything.

⠀⠀So when she came back, there he was, painting something of his own on a piece of scrap paper, which looked more like a wet,  
soggy mess as he put too much water in the paint. She knew him too well.

⠀⠀"Did you ask?" Laurel's gentle voice rang through the room as she shut the door behind her, causing James to jump a little.

⠀⠀"No," James said, pausing. Then he continued to paint. "But I know you'll probably say yes."

⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes, seating herself next to him. "Yes, you can use it. But use it properly. You're using too much water and you're going to create a hole in the paper."

⠀⠀"Watercolors are harder than they look," James said, placing the paintbrush back into the rinsing cup. "You brought the toys?"

⠀⠀Laurel nodded, placing them all on the table carefully in front of James. He picked up the bird, recognizing it. "It's exactly like it was in the picture."

⠀⠀"The picture?" Laurel asked, confused, looking up from her moving paintbrush.

⠀⠀"Remember the one you freaked out over at the party?" James asked, waving the bird around. She nodded. "I gave you a wooden toy. It was this one. That photo was taken here," he looked around the room casually, "but everything looks different than what it used to be."

⠀⠀Laurel shrugged. "I'm almost the only person that uses this room anymore. My mum does occasionally, but me most of the time. I don't let anyone else in here."

⠀⠀"I see," James said, turning his glance back to the wooden bird, standing by the window. "So, like your sketchbook, you don't let anyone see this room?"

⠀⠀"No," Laurel said simply, "it's usually locked so the twins can't get inside. Who knows what they'll do?"

⠀⠀"Yet," James said carefully with a smirk growing on his face, "you let me in here. Who knows what _I'll_ do?"

⠀⠀"The most you could do is waste my paints," Laurel said, rolling her eyes. "They'll do more than that and they have. Besides, I trust you a little more than I trust them."

⠀⠀"So does that mean I get a key to this room?" James asked, half jokingly.

⠀⠀Laurel threw him an confused look. "Of course not. You don't live here."

⠀⠀James just shrugged. "I guess."

⠀⠀Laurel didn't reply, leaving their conversation to end there for the time being, her sole purpose at that very moment was to get the right stroke of the paintbrush for the arch of the fish. She didn't even notice James nodding his head to the beat of the song that was playing softly in the background. Laurel placed down her paintbrush just as James asked another question.   
  


⠀⠀"How's your grandmother?" he asked nonchalantly, his hands fiddling with the wooden toys. He looked up at her from his standing spot by the window, only to find that Laurel was looking back at him with the very blue eyes that melted his heart.

⠀⠀Laurel didn't respond for a moment, finding it hard to form sentences all of a sudden.

⠀⠀"She's...she's been better," the blonde said finally with a sigh, looking down at her dry paintbrushes, her fingers running across the bristles.

⠀⠀"Oh."

⠀⠀"Yeah." Their voices were almost whispers in the room, inaudible to anything with ears except each other.

⠀⠀"She'll get better," James said, walking towards her from his spot, crouching in front of her. She didn't look at him. "She's strong, is she not? They'll figure something out, Rels."

⠀⠀Laurel shook her head. "It's...it's not that easy, James," she said resignedly, sighing as she choked up, her body feeling like jelly as she fought herself from falling apart. "They've...they've done everything—the Healers. They've done everything they could...nothing's worked. My grandmother...she's strong, but she's not strong like she used to be."

⠀⠀Her suddenly cold hands fell to her lap as she let out a shaky breath, closing her eyes, only to feel someone else's warm hands wrap around hers. She opened her eyes, finding his soft brown eyes looking up into hers from his crouching position. They were gentle with understanding, but also hard with determination at the same time, comforting her troubled mind. She didn't realize how light brown his eyes were until that moment. Never had she seen such a beautiful pair of brown eyes.

⠀⠀The stare was overwhelming on both ends, both feeling the tension rise. He returned to his chair, leaning over slightly, just to be at eye level with her, his face not so far from hers. Her soft breathing tickled the skin of his face, his eyes inevitably wandering her face, counting the number of freckles she held, finally landing on her lips, only to avert them back to her blue eyes. 

⠀⠀"I'm sorry," he breathed, giving her hands a little squeeze. "I-I don't know what else to say."

⠀⠀"It's okay," Laurel said, smiling a little at his puzzled disposition. "Just...Thank you for listening, James."

⠀⠀James smiled ruefully. "Always."

⠀⠀Laurel's smile grew, fighting the urge to kiss him right then and there. "Want to paint?"

⠀⠀"Rels, I'm fucking horrible at painting or anything art related," James said, chuckling slightly as she pulled her hands away, grabbing for a paintbrush for him. He straightened his back, watching as Laurel set up everything for him, a smile on her face.

⠀⠀"No one can say that until they've tried," Laurel said, handing him a paintbrush.

⠀⠀"I've tried," James chuckled, taking the paintbrush reluctantly, "and it did _not_ work."

⠀⠀"Then try harder."

⠀⠀Laurel didn't say the words as roughly as they would've been. They were gentle and filled with kindness. It was quiet, but still impactful. It took him a moment to process the words.

⠀⠀The blonde turned away from James and continued her painting, swaying gently to the Muggle music now playing, humming slightly off key. James watched her in wonder, puzzled as to how someone could look so perfect while not even fully dancing or fully singing. Her eyes never left the painting, smearing her fair skin with paint, her hands constantly moving.   
  


⠀⠀He stared at her, unable to take his eyes off, sighing softly. James didn't have any idea how good of a painter she was until now. He could've assumed, but he couldn't assume the extent in which she was. Finally tearing his eyes away from her, he stared at the blank page before him, nothing visual coming to his mind except words that were already forming in his mind. _No, he couldn't write things in_ front _of her. How absurd._

⠀⠀But his hand was itching to do so. He didn't want to forget, since his mind worked so quickly. _Fuck it_ , he thought, placing the brush down, looking around for a pen. One finally caught his eye and he reached for it, turning back to his paper. James threw a wary glance Laurel's way, only to find her completely engrossed on her painting.

⠀⠀ _Good_ , he thought. His hand began writing to no end, the way Laurel's didn't stop painting. James' handwriting was almost illegible, for he was writing so quickly, it just looked like curvy lines attached to each other. He figured it was for the best that she couldn't read it, but he could. Later he could go home and rewrite it perhaps.

⠀⠀Suddenly, Laurel groaned, stopping her painting. Something seemed to snap her out of her concentration. "Merlin, I _hate_ this song."

⠀⠀James chuckled, watching her cross the room just to click a button on the machine, stopping the song midway, cutting into another. He didn't speak as she continued this for another few clicks until she seemed to finally settle on one, turning a knob to increase the volume of the song.

⠀⠀Laurel turned back around, dancing a little to the song, muttering the words, her eyes finding James'. She smiled, dancing her way towards him, taking his free hand. James dropped his pen on the table, grinning a little at her spontaneity. He was more of a slow dancer, but he'd do anything for her really, even dance to a song he didn't know.

⠀⠀They walked to the middle of the room, Laurel rocking away to the music, letting go of his hand, leaving him to watch her twirl around him, swaying gently to the music, her dirty blonde ponytail whipping around her head. She thought he was going to dance.

⠀⠀James just stood there admiring her from afar, her arms flying gracefully around her, not caring who saw her dancing. She finally seemed to notice that James wasn't dancing, pausing in her movements, staring him down. The blonde went over to turn the music higher, moving towards him, a smile spread across her face. She reached for his hands, trying to get him to move. 

⠀⠀"Do you not know how to dance?" Laurel asked, moving his arms as he hardly tried to move. "You danced perfectly well two nights ago."

⠀⠀"I can slow dance," James said, chuckling, swaying slightly now, "but this is nothing like that."

⠀⠀"This music isn't even that fast," Laurel retorted, spinning herself, almost hitting James with her dirty blonde ponytail. "Besides, if you think I'll judge you because of the way you dance, you're terribly mistaken."

⠀⠀"Terribly?" James joked, chucking. He spun her around this time, catching her slightly off guard, causing her to stumble a little. He caught her by the waist, holding her in place, one of his hands gripping hers tightly, their fingers tangled together.

⠀⠀"Not so bad, Pudding Boy," Laurel said, grinning as she continued to sway, taking his other hand, swinging their arms. The song changed, the lyrics sounding quite familiar to his ears.

⠀⠀"What song is that?" James asked, Laurel's rhythm changing. "It sounds so familiar."

⠀⠀"' _You Don't Know Love_ ', I believe," Laurel replied, spinning, "by Olly Murs."

⠀⠀"Hugo must've played it before," James recalled, joining her subconsciously in her movements.

⠀⠀"He has very good taste in music then," Laurel said, grinning. "I should honestly send you some tapes of really good Muggle music. Or at least my favorites."

⠀⠀"That would be lovely, since Rose hates that I don't listen to any music, not even wizard music," James said, chuckling a little. He spun her again, noticing her bright purple polka dot socks as she spun on her heels. He caught her on the side, his hand on her waist. This time, she didn't remove his hand from there, placing her hand in his shoulder, the way they had at the Christmas party.

⠀⠀Her breath hitched slightly at the contact. She hadn't felt someone touch her waist like that in awhile. At the party, his grip was a little more loose, like he thought she was too fragile to hold. She supposed it took him two days to realize she wasn't fragile in the slightest.

⠀⠀They were so close, probably too close for Rolf's liking. Laurel could feel James' breath on her cheek, their fingers entwined, as they began to dance in beat with the song that was playing. 

⠀⠀They danced until Laurel was bored of spinning, her feet aching, her stomach sore from the amount of laughs that had emerged from there. They had been lost in the music and each other's eyes, too oblivious to notice that the sun had begun to set.

⠀⠀"Oh my Merlin," Laurel said, breaking away from James' arms, turning towards the window. "It's..."

⠀⠀" _Beautiful_ ," James gawked, following her.

⠀⠀Everything on the earth was covered in white, but the sky was screaming in color. A splash of indigo lurked at the top of it, fading into a lavender, with puffy clouds matching it, blends of orange, fuchsia, coral reds, and yellow painting the horizon above the trees that spanned behind the Scamander house.

⠀⠀"You like sunsets?" Laurel asked, not turning away from the view.

⠀⠀"Yeah," James said, sighing a little, "and sunrises."

⠀⠀"Me too," Laurel mused, "me too."

⠀⠀"Sunset also means that it's time for me to leave," James remembered suddenly, reluctantly turning away from the view that was turning into night very quickly.

⠀⠀Laurel followed suit, feeling slight disappointment coursing through her veins. She didn't want him to leave really. She genuinely enjoyed his company.

⠀⠀"So soon?" Laurel asked, watching him pull on his shoes.

⠀⠀"I've been here for six hours, Rels," James chuckled. "It's been quite a long time."

⠀⠀Laurel shrugged. "You're right, I suppose."

⠀⠀"I'd like to stay here longer, you know," James said, standing up. "You're a lot of fun. But my mom will kill me if I stay put for too long again."

⠀⠀"Again?" Laurel asked, watching as he pulled on his sweater.

⠀⠀"One time, Evan and Ash kept me for too long and she got mad," James recalled, shrugging. "So blame it on them."

⠀⠀Laurel laughed. "Yet your mother treats them like her third and fourth sons."

⠀⠀" _Exactly_ ," James said, rolling his eyes. "That's the ironic part."

⠀⠀Laurel shrugged. "Parents are always inconsistent."

⠀⠀James just laughed, wrapping his wizard robes around himself, not that Laurel had noticed that he had it when he came in. "My dad's amazing, thank you very much."

⠀⠀"I didn't say your dad specifically," Laurel said, rolling her eyes, opening the door and entering the corridor towards the staircase.

⠀⠀"Well, I'm telling you he isn't inconsistent," James playfully bickered. "He did save the wizarding world, you know."

⠀⠀"No need to shove it down my throat, Potter," Laurel fought back, smiling anyway. "My mother was part of it. Your dad couldn't have done it alone without a load of help."

⠀⠀"Whatever you say," James said as they walked off the staircase, entering the living room where Luna and Rolf sat comfortably on the couch, eating cookies. "Thank you for having me, Mr and Mrs Scamander."

⠀⠀"Thank you for keeping my daughter company," Rolf said, smiling at James and winning at Laurel behind him, who fought the urge to throw a cookie at her father.

⠀⠀"Take a cookie before you leave," Luna said, smiling. James politely declined and headed for the fireplace, where he grabbed some Floo powder.

⠀⠀"I'll see you soon, Rels," James said, waving, pulling on his charming smile before shouting his house address. And then he was engulfed in green flames and then he was gone.

⠀⠀" _Rels_?" Rolf asked incredulously. "That's what he calls you?"

⠀⠀"Yeah, Dad," Laurel said, plopping down in the couch adjacent to the one her parents were occupying.

⠀⠀"Well tell him, _Laury_ is better and that he's got competition," Rolf said in a playfully warning voice.

⠀⠀"Competition?" Laurel asked, confused. What other boy liked her that she wasn't aware of?

⠀⠀Rolf nodded seriously and smirked a little. "Yeah," he said, winking at her. " _Me_."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

 **WHEN JAMES GOT HOME** , a box was thrown at him. It was an open box of _Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans_.

⠀⠀"What in bloody hell was that for, Lils?" James asked, cursing under his breath as he wiped the beans off of him.

⠀⠀"For not taking me with you to see Laurel," Lily said, munching on a Cauldron Cake as she flipped a page in her book. _Bloody Ravenclaw_ , James thought. Lily was quite literally never seen without a book or a quill.

⠀⠀James pulled off his robes and his shoes, watching as the magically charmed broomstick and dustpan began cleaning the beans on the floor. "She invited _me_ , Lils, not you."

⠀⠀"Tell her to invite me next time," Lily retorted childishly. "I'm great company."

⠀⠀" _Sure_ ," another voice came in, dripping with sarcasm. It was Albus, who looked like Lily had been badgering him for the entire eight hours that James had been gone with the useless information that she held in her brain. She probably had been. "You were quite boring while James was away."

⠀⠀"Well I'm sorry that my brain capacity is better than yours, Al," Lily snapped sarcastically. "I'm sorry that you find me boring."

⠀⠀"Would both of you stop fighting? I did not want to come home to this," James said, annoyed.

⠀⠀"You always come home to this," Albus snorted. "If you really don't want to be here, feel free to excuse yourself and leave."

⠀⠀"Are you dismissing me?" James asked, jokingly.

⠀⠀"Yes," Albus said, almost coldly. James just rolled his eyes, grabbing his things and leaving the living room, looking for his parents. He had come to a conclusion that perhaps Albus was just in one of his mood swing days. 

⠀⠀"James! You're home. Good," Ginny said, who was sitting at the dinner table with a typewriter. Ever since Hermione had given it to her, the redhead couldn't stop using it. Harry always joked that his wife loved the typewriter more than him.

⠀⠀"Yep, not late," James said, walking swiftly out of the dining room to the staircase adjacent to it, running up the stairs before his mother could ask him how his visit to the Scamanders' had been.

⠀⠀He threw off his robes, grabbed his glasses from his desk and plopped down on his desk chair. James grabbed for his journal, grabbing for a pen at the same time. He flipped it open, smoothing out a blank page with multiple pages torn out from before, his mind almost exploding from the words he just _had_ to write down.

⠀⠀James smiled as he finally came up with a title for this composition.

⠀⠀ _Dancing With An Angel._  
  



	13. IT SUITS YOU

**IT WAS ALREADY THE** middle of the month of January, the homework load from the unrelenting education system of Hogwarts growing the more the students tried to lessen it. Midterm exams and essays were hitting them all with little to nothing of hours to sleep, and every weekend was nap time instead of Hogsmeade.   
  
  


⠀⠀Laurel hated midterm week (probably more than she hated Liam). She personally disliked studying, never being able to focus on something for that long. She was a fast learner, but if it came down to something that wasn't remotely interesting, she found it easy to distract herself, or get distracted. And James was no exception.  
  
  


⠀⠀All six friends were hogging a library table to themselves, studying or writing essays furiously. They had originally planned to spend this Saturday on a break in Hogshead for some cheap butterbeer, but things had gone terribly wrong when a 'horrible' (which really wasn't that bad, but Evan _had_ to be dramatic) rainstorm decided to pound down on them. So, they were 'rained' in, stuck studying, deciding to take that butterbeer break next weekend instead. 

⠀⠀Laurel had been staring at James for the past five minutes, watching him throw a paper ball up in the air only to catch it again, leaning his chair on its back two legs, his Herbology textbook in his lap, his glasses perched on the end of his nose. His eyes were scanning the page furiously, as if he were cramming for the rest like it was tomorrow. She found it odd that James was actually studying without her help (though she believed he'd need help eventually), let alone actually sitting still and studying. She mentally slapped herself; when did James Potter _studying_ get interesting to her?

⠀⠀(Perhaps James Potter had always been interesting to her ever since the school year started.)  
⠀⠀(But she would've never dared to admit that.)

⠀⠀With that conclusion, she tore her eyes off of James to scan everyone else. Evan had fallen asleep, his face on his book, his soft snores filling the ears of everyone at the table. Asher was studying intently without expression, running a pen through out his textbook, underlining important things (which Laurel came to observe was almost everything), almost anxiously. Dominique looked as serene as ever, a fiction book sitting in front of her, her fashionably circular reading glasses slipping off her nose every once in awhile. Her red hair was a mess, as she had been quite stressed this morning thinking that their first exam was today, forgetting to brush it, only to find out that midterm week wasn't this week, but next week; besides, it was Saturday.

⠀⠀Callen was probably the most stressed out of them all. She had all her books laid out (her things made up a good portion of their table), as well as snacks that, in the end, only her and Evan feasted on. Exam time was the only time Callen Li was genuinely stressed. Yet, she was the smartest of them all. 

⠀⠀Laurel looked back down at her Ancient Runes notes, finding that barely half of what was written was actually sinking into her brain. She so desperately wanted help from her brothers, both of whom aced Professor Kane's midterms the year before. Obviously it wasn't going to be same test, but she was sure it was going to have similar questions. Besides, the twins weren't terrible teachers, so she could probably understand them better than her doodle-covered-notes. _Relevant_ doodles.

⠀⠀But she was almost too prideful to ask for help, since she knew her brothers would belittle her for everything no matter how much they loved each other. So she didn't ask, and thus was drowning in confusion, with the rescue not too far off, but she was too prideful to grab on.   
  


⠀⠀So she continued staring at her notes, finally giving up, sighing heavily and pushing her notes away. James seemed to have noticed her frustration, looking up from his book and catching the ball, leaning forward on his chair.

⠀⠀"You alright, Rels?" James asked, tucking his hand under his chin, his elbow resting on the table. "You look a bit—"

⠀⠀"—stressed?" Laurel cut in, trying her hardest to soften her tone. Studying always put her on edge. "Yes. Your assumption is correct, James."

⠀⠀"No," James said, shaking his head slightly. "You look tired."

⠀⠀"Yes. Thank you for pointing out the obvious, dear cousin," Dominique piped up, looking at James through her glasses. "We're all tired. Look at Evan."

⠀⠀"It'll be over soon, don't worry," Asher said, looking up from his underlining. "We'll have some 'treat-ourselves' butterbeer next week when it's all over."

⠀⠀"Says the one frantically underlining everything," Evan said groggily, lifting his head up from the table, finally waking up now that everyone began to speak. He leaned over onto Callen, resting his head on her shoulder as she was still the only one focused, reading her Arithmancy textbook intently.

⠀⠀"At least I was able to go through two subjects in one sitting, Wormwood," Asher snapped playfully at him. "You didn't even make it halfway through your Herbology notes, which is, by the way, the easiest class, before falling asleep."

⠀⠀"In my defense," Evan said, raising his finger tiredly, "it _was_ boring, which is why I fell asleep."

⠀⠀"It doesn't matter," Laurel said, breaking their little argument. "I'm exhausted and if anyone wants to come and take a break with me back in the Tower, feel free to join."

⠀⠀So she got up, gathering her belongings and leaving, not looking behind her to see who followed. She hoped no one had so she could just take a nap instead of having to socialize, but she was quite wrong when someone tagged along next to her.

⠀⠀"Care for some company?" James asked, a little too cheerily.

⠀⠀"I wanted to take a nap, but you're not too bad," Laurel said, looking over at him with a slight smirk on her face.

⠀⠀"It's not like we haven't napped together before," James retorted, wiggling his eyebrows. Laurel just rolled her eyes in response, climbing the staircase in light steps.

⠀⠀" _That_ ," Laurel finally said, "was an accident."

⠀⠀"No, it wasn't," James insisted. "It was definitely _not_ an accident."

⠀⠀"If you hadn't decided to sleep in the bed, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Laurel glared playfully, turning the corridor leading to the Gryffindor Tower.

⠀⠀"Are you actually going to take a nap?" James asked cooly. "I didn't think you were that boring."

⠀⠀Laurel threw him a lethal glare as she muttered the password, walking into the portrait hole. "If you keep asking me, I just might and you would've walked all this way for no reason."

⠀⠀"Fine, I won't ask. It's a nice day outside and I just curious if you wanted to come with me for some flying," James stated quickly without thinking twice. He had no clue where this sudden spurt of confidence had come from, but he was impressed at himself.

⠀⠀Laurel looked at him, stopping in her tracks, smirking at him slightly as he rounded to face her. "What? Are you asking to take me on a romantic joyride on your half-burnt broomstick?"

⠀⠀"It's not half-burnt," James said indignantly, pretending to be offended. "Just because Malfoy accidentally angled his spell the wrong way doesn't mean it's half-burnt. Only the end got singed."

⠀⠀Laurel just laughed. "I wouldn't mind going with you as long as you don't drop me."

⠀⠀"Why would I drop you?" James asked incredulously, looking bewildered.

⠀⠀"Maybe because you weren't holding onto me tightly enough?" Laurel reasoned, shrugging. "I mean, I did save your life when you fell off your broom."

⠀⠀"And I will forever be indebted to you," James said, saluting her.

⠀⠀"You realize that it's storming outside?" Laurel said, heading to the staircase leading to the girls dormitory, him still quite close by. "And we're not recommended to go outside?"

⠀⠀"Yes. It's _beautiful_ weather outside," James said, winking at her as she threw him a skeptical glance. " _Oh_ , don't look at me like that. I've played Quidditch in worse weather before, _trust_ me."

⠀⠀"If I get sick, it's because of you, Potter," Laurel warned playfully, amused at him as she moved away, walking upstairs to put on the appropriate clothes (which were practically none).

⠀⠀Laurel heard his low chuckle as she passed by him, smiling at it. She ran up the stairs and pulled on a thick sweater and a rain jacket Callen had bought her a year ago. Wizards didn't have stylish jackets made for the rain and water-repellent charms weren't exactly the most pleasant to — well — wear.

⠀⠀She fixed her blonde ponytail and pulled on pair of black rain boots, running back down the stairs to meet up with James. He wasn't dressed in what she was wearing; he was just wearing his regular clothes, like it wasn't raining outside in the first place. As he watched her descend the staircase, his face became more and more contorted with confusion.

⠀⠀"Why are you wearing that type of shiny fabric?" James asked, confused, Laurel noticing that he had his broomstick at his side.

⠀⠀"It's called a rain jacket," Laurel said, laughing a little. "Perhaps Callen should give you some _real_ Muggle Studies lessons."

⠀⠀"That would be fun," James said, nodding in agreement. "I actually enjoy Muggle Studies because my dad hardly teaches me anything about it."

⠀⠀"He's spent most of his life in the wizarding world from what I know, so he can't teach much," Laurel reasoned calmly, shrugging as they walked back out of the Tower.

⠀⠀"Sometimes I feel like other people know about my dad more than _I_ fucking know about my dad," James said, crinkling his nose slightly at his own comment. "It's quite annoying actually."

⠀⠀"I can only imagine what that's like," Laurel reckoned with pity. "Sometimes I forget that you're Harry Potter's son."

⠀⠀"I try to forget that," James muttered as he took her hand and pulled her down a different corridor than the one she usually took to go to the Quidditch pitch.

⠀⠀"I know," Laurel shrugged. "We can't choose our family, James, but we can choose how we make it a family, so don't take them for granted."

⠀⠀James just smiled at her, continuing to pull her along quickly, running down the corridors until they were finally outside, where it was pouring.

⠀⠀Laurel personally loved the rain, so she squealed in delight as they were instantly drenched. The thunder and lightening seemed to have stopped for a moment and Laurel internally rejoiced. She only liked rain when there wasn't thunder and lightning involved. James was wearing his Quidditch practice gear, which did have a water-repellent charm, but he could tell it was beginning to wear off.   
  


⠀⠀"I didn't know you liked the rain!" James commented, shouting through the pounding sounds of the rain. He chuckled as he watched Laurel spin around in a puddle, running his hand through his drenched hair.

⠀⠀"I love the rain!" Laurel said back, looking up into the sky happily. "Are we going or not?"

⠀⠀James just laughed and grabbed for her hand once again, pulling her past the castle grounds to the muddy grounds of the Quidditch pitch. They headed to the middle of the pitch, their boots squelching in the wet mud and grass of the ground. Laurel didn't realize how muddy the ground was until now. It wasn't muddy the last time she had been on it. 

⠀⠀As they reached James' planned spot, he grinned widely, swinging his leg over his broomstick, patting behind him for Laurel to get on. She looked at him tentatively for a second before finally getting on herself. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, closing her eyes in slight terror of falling.

⠀⠀"Here we go!" James shouted excitedly. "Hold on tight."

⠀⠀Laurel then felt a hard jerk in her neck as James kicked off the ground, the broomstick springing to life, and they were off the ground. Laurel's grip on James tightened as she felt her stomach drop. They were rising at a very fast pace and she didn't know if she was thrilled or terrified. Probably both.

⠀⠀She didn't know she was screaming until she stopped, James shouting at her to stop. "Bloody hell! My ears are hurting!" he exclaimed childishly, swooping in and out of the goalposts.

⠀⠀"I'm sorry!" Laurel managed, feeling slightly relieved as he began to slow down. Her grip on him loosened as she surveyed everything below them. It was so different from up here. Everything was so much smaller, and even through the rain, she could make out the brightly painted house crests on the four sections built for each house. She knew they were there but she hadn't noticed the beauty of it all until now.

⠀⠀"Your mother painted those, didn't she?" James asked curiously, stopping his broomstick from flying, looking down at what she was looking at.

⠀⠀"Yeah," Laurel said in awe. "She painted them after she graduated."

⠀⠀"Well they're all beautiful, tell her that," James said, looking at her. She didn't notice as she was still looking at the paintings, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

⠀⠀"Yeah, they are," Laurel mused. "Blimey, you Quidditch players must really take this view for granted."

⠀⠀"The seventh year players always tell us how much they'll miss it," James commented, chuckling, shaking his head. "We never listen."

⠀⠀Laurel didn't answer, feeling the rain soaking through her hair. Her hood must've slipped off while they were flying upwards. Her arms moved higher on James' torso; she could feel his heartbeat slightly from where her arm was making contact with his shirt. It was quick and she then realized how fast he was breathing; perhaps from the adrenaline. 

⠀⠀They stayed there for awhile, letting the softening rain soak their skin. Laurel found it so peaceful, resting her head on his back, breathing his scent in. It was hard to make out as it was shrouded in the smell of rain, but his scent was familiar to her nose and she smiled inwardly. He smelled like the beaches of Greece she visited summers ago, burnt pine needles, and oddly — lavender. 

⠀⠀Her moment of serenity was cut short when James decided to make a quick cut downwards, causing her to almost fall of the broom. Her arms tightened around him even more, and they flew around easily until he slowed down slightly above the stands. She took a chance and threw her arms out in the side, screaming out and laughing, feeling the rain on the soft skin of her face. 

⠀⠀Laurel felt a lurch as they lowered towards the ground, falling soundly onto the mud of the floor, the ground squelching underneath her weight.

⠀⠀"James!" she exclaimed. She could hear his laughter from somewhere farther, the sound coming close. She got up, gathering mud in her hands to toss at him. As soon as she saw him, she threw it as hard as she could, the ball of mud landing squarely on his stomach, causing him to yelp in surprise.

⠀⠀"What the fuck?" James said, laughing as she grinned triumphantly. "Fine, I'll fight you."

⠀⠀He gathered mud on his own, throwing it at her, hitting her in the leg as she screamed and ran. A mud fight ensued, the both of them chasing each other down, Laurel making a run for his broom lying on the ground near her.

⠀⠀"Leave my broom out of this!" James yelled, tossing a a pile of mud at her, hitting her back.

⠀⠀She gathered more mud in her hands, tossing it back at him. She made her way up to the wooden stands before she realized he was right in front her. He jumped on her, wrapping his arms around her to keep her from getting any further from him, lifting her light body up from the ground. She kicked at him, accidentally kicking his knee, causing him to fall into the ground, feeling the water on the stands splash around them.

⠀⠀Laurel found herself on top of him, her hands on the wooden floor on either side of his head, holding herself up, her face right on top of his. Her long wet ponytail was tossed to the side, and her shoulders were beginning to hurt from the strain of keeping herself from falling on top of him completely. James, oddly enough, looked quite comfortable where he was.

⠀⠀The rain was pouring down around the both of them, their faces unnaturally close, their bodies already touching, sending tingles down each of their spines. He grinned stupidly up at her, his glasses soiled with mud and water, his hair drenched. She was sure she didn't look any better.

⠀⠀But his face didn't seem to think so. He looked at her like she was made of stars, like she was made of fresh petals from the most beautiful flowers of the universe. She wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his face; she couldn't really understand why he looked so happy. His hands were still on her waist, not moving, fitting perfectly there like they were made to hold her just like that. Her eyes looked into his, and she noticed that his brown eyes held tiny green specks in them, like the perfect combination of his parents' eyes.

⠀⠀She could feel his warm breath on her face, and suddenly it was like the Christmas party all over again. She wanted to close the two inch space between them (if that was the only way to wipe that stupid grin off his face, she'd do it), to just kiss him, wondering what it was like to have his mouth on hers. It only just hit her that — _oh, Merlin_ — she was falling. Laurel Pandora Scamander was falling for James Sirius Potter. 

⠀⠀What she didn't know, was that James was trying to keep himself under control. He was frozen in time, his hands unable to move from the spot on her waist, his face dangerously close to hers. He could feel her shaky breath on his face, grinning up at her because she had never looked so beautiful. Her blue eyes were twinkling, looking into his as his own discreetly moved to look at her entire face, going from her cheeks to her freckles to her lips (which they lingered a bit too long) and finally back to her eyes. Kissing didn't seem like such a bad idea right now.

⠀⠀It seemed like forever, but they had only been like this for a minute. A stray lock of Laurel's golden hair fell from her ponytail and suddenly James found movement in his body again, moving his hand from her waist to push it behind her ear, his hand trailing down to hold her face in place, his thumb running across her cheek.

⠀⠀Laurel's arms seemed to slowly give out as James pulled her closer to him, closing the space between them in such an agonizingly slow speed. Their noses brushed against each other, their eyes were closing and Laurel's heartbeat had never been faster—she thought— _this is it. There's no turning back_.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀Suddenly, a loud crack and light resounded around them, causing Laurel to jump and fall on top of him completely, her head next to his on the floor; James cursed out loud.

⠀⠀The rain hailed down on them harder and James decided then that they should probably head on in. Her body was still on top of his and he just wanted to hold her there...forever and ever. But he couldn't as she rolled off of him, sitting up, smiling down ruefully at the boy.

⠀⠀"We should go in," she said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. "It's dangerous once there's lightning and thunder." He sat up and made a confused face.

⠀⠀"There's no way we're going back in like this," James said, getting up with her. "The showers are open, you know."

⠀⠀"I don't have extra clothes, you idiot," Laurel said, shivering slightly.

⠀⠀James waved his wand, quickly summoning his broom. " _Accio Broomstick!_ You can always borrow mine, Rels. And there's the Hot-Air Charm."

⠀⠀"Then showers it is," Laurel said, nodding. With that, the both of them hurried to the changing room, where Laurel was provided with a dry towel and oversized clothes. She then rushed behind the shower curtain, wanting to make this business as fast as possible, hearing him cast a drying charm on himself.

⠀⠀"I can cast a Hot-Air Charm on your clothes if you want," James offered. Laurel didn't make any noise except stick out with her wet clothes in hand through the curtain. James took it, laying it out on the bench near him, thankful that she hadn't given him her underwear.

⠀⠀James heard the shower turn on and the slight splashing from her feet on the water of the tiled floor. He couldn't help but sneak a glance, only seeing her shadow and flip of blonde hair before averting his gaze. He wasn't a pervert.

⠀⠀James finished casting the charms on Laurel's clothes as she popped out with her hair wrapped in the towel, wearing his old Dueling Club maroon sweatshirt that was two sizes too large for her skinny frame, luckily reaching past her rear end. He gawked slightly at her fresh-faced, long-legged appearance that he had never seen before. He had never noticed how long her legs were, or how radiant her face was after showering.   
  
  


⠀⠀"The sweatshirt's a bit big, but it's alright," Laurel commented, shrugging as she looked down at it, the sleeves reaching past her hands. "Are you sure this even fits you?"

⠀⠀"I got it a little bigger actually," James said, breaking from his slight daze. He pointed at her clothes. "They're here if you want to change."

⠀⠀"Not the shirt," Laurel said, making a face at how dirty her shirt had become, walking over after grabbing her shoes. "Thank you for the charm."

⠀⠀"Anytime. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go shower," James said, pulling off his shirt, revealing his upper body. It was normal, to Laurel at least. She thanked Merlin he wasn't one of those crazy fitness fanatics with a six-pack at seventeen years old that she'd seen on Callen's Muggle television shows. He _was_ built, and still had quite an abdomen, but it seemed more natural and easy to the eyes. She couldn't exactly tear her eyes off him.   
  
  


⠀⠀"Like what you see?" James joked, dancing a little in front of her. Laurel looked away, blushing slightly. She thanked Merlin he had his pants on.

⠀⠀"Shut up or I'll—I'll toss your broom into the Whomping Willow," Laurel said, now completely facing the opposite way from James.

⠀⠀"I don't feel threatened because it has happened before," she heard James, hearing the drop of more clothes and the closing of a shower curtain. She didn't dare to turn around.

⠀⠀"Who did that?" she asked, reaching for her jeans.

⠀⠀"Dom, of course," James called back. She began to hear the shower turn on, finally finding the dignity to turn back around for her shoes. She spotted all of his clothes in one pile on the floor, and by all of the clothes, he had put _all_ of his clothes, including everything underneath. Even _she_ didn't dare to do that. Was he teasing her?

⠀⠀Laurel pulled on her shoes and gently let her hair down, looking for a mirror. Finding one, she pulled her hair back into a big tangled bunch of blonde hair on the back of her head, knowing she didn't have a brush. She heard the rings holding up the shower curtain run against its rusty metal bar, looking away quickly, avoiding another odd encounter with a half naked, now towel-only clad James.

⠀⠀"Laurel, it's not like you haven't seen a guy half-naked before," James said, pulling on his clothes quickly.

⠀⠀"What do you mean?" Laurel asked quickly, her eyebrows furrowed. "My brothers and dad don't count."

⠀⠀"I'm talking about Liam," James said straightforwardly, walking towards her, plopping down next to her on the bench she was on.

⠀⠀"What about Liam?" Laurel asked, her tone cold.

⠀⠀"You've never seen him without his clothes on?" James asked. There was no malice in his tone; it was more like a childish innocence that Laurel couldn't blame him for: that was his natural disposition.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Nevertheless, the question confused and bothered her. They were best friends but why did James have to pry into her personal life? And what was he assuming?

⠀⠀She looked at him dead in the eye, her expression confused as ever. "Are you assuming we had sex?"

⠀⠀James seemed hesitant in his next response, knowing he had pressed the wrong buttons. "Well, it _is_ the twenty-first century, premarital sex isn't a taboo—"

⠀⠀"We didn't."

⠀⠀"Oh."

⠀⠀"So yes," Laurel said coldly, turning away from him, "I'm a virgin if that's what you were actually asking."  
  


⠀⠀James didn't reply for a long moment, contemplating whether or not to continue the topic or end it there. He didn't mean it that way of course, but he had always wondered. Merlin, he felt so vile asking her about it.

⠀⠀"That's not what I was asking," he clarified. "If _you_ wanted to know, _I'm_ not a virgin."

⠀⠀"I'm not surprised," Laurel said, her gaze shifting to her hands hidden in the sleeves of his sweatshirt.

⠀⠀"Fourteen," James said, shrugging. "It was to a fifth year I can't remember the name of."

⠀⠀"I _don't_ , and _didn't_ want to know," Laurel replied, her tone still cold. "Virginity is just a social construct used to control a woman's sexuality and determine their value. It's not something we need to protect either."

⠀⠀" _Wow_ , Lily _and_ Rose would love you," James mused, amazed at Laurel's speech. "She's always talking about stuff like that. She calls it feminism."

⠀⠀"I call it common sense," Laurel replied, getting up to retrieve her soiled clothes. "It doesn't take feminism to treat women equally. It's part of being a decent human being."

⠀⠀"I respect women, I'm scared of them, actually. My grandma killed the batshit crazy second-in-command witch to Voldemort," James recalled thoughtfully, following her. "No one can get more badass than that."

⠀⠀"Never forget that our mothers were part of the revamp of a rebellion with teenagers," the blonde chuckled, following James to the exit of the changing room. "They also attempted to steal the Sword of Gryffindor."

⠀⠀"Yet they tell us to stay out of trouble," James scoffed.

⠀⠀"You do realize it got some of them killed, right?" Laurel replied. "It cost your Uncle George his ear. It almost cost my mother's life. And it actually cost your Uncle Fred's life."

⠀⠀James froze a little on the inside, his humorous tone switching off almost immediately. "We don't...really talk about him. My mom talks about him at times, but...rarely. Dad tells us to never talk about him outside of our house and maybe while at school."

⠀⠀Laurel regretted bringing his late uncle up, but she knew he wasn't too affected by that death. He wasn't even alive for it.

⠀⠀They continued their walk to the Gryffindor Tower in thoughtful silence. She felt as though their conversation about virginity hadn't really ended. It just... _drifted_. Perhaps she had reacted poorly. She personally didn't mind talking about virginity, but she had never talked about her own with anyone except Callen and Dominique. They were the only ones who knew anything about her sex life. Dominique was definitely not a virgin, and neither was Callen. 

⠀⠀Suddenly, she felt his hand wrap around her elbow, pulling her to an empty corridor to a stop. Laurel stared at him, confused, giving him a questioning look.

⠀⠀"Look," James started, "I'm sorry about the whole virginity thing before. I shouldn't have assumed or asked in general—"

⠀⠀"It's fine," Laurel said, gently removing her elbow from his grasp. "I get it. You were just curious."

⠀⠀James nodded solemnly. "Thank you for understanding."

⠀⠀Laurel nodded back, holding her clothes closer to her body. She didn't notice how much James' sweatshirt smelled like him until now. She wondered if she had a certain scent to her that James could distinguish from anyone else's scent.

⠀⠀They continued walking, both subconsciously taking the long way to the Gryffindor Tower. She stole a glance at James, finding him humming an simple time quietly enough for her to hear. She wanted to tell him everything that had happened between her and Liam; he was going to find out eventually anyway. 

⠀⠀"Liam cheated on me before we got to the sex stage," Laurel said, breaking the silence. She felt so small.

⠀⠀James looked at her slightly surprised. "Oh. But that's all in the past now, right?"

⠀⠀Laurel just nodded, holding her clothes closer to her body, feeling smaller and smaller. She hated feeling like this. She hated feeling vulnerable. The blonde didn't respond, sealing her mouth shut from uttering two words that meant all the difference: _I hope._

⠀⠀James continued looking at her intently, knowing all too well that perhaps she wasn't truly past everything that had happened between her and Liam. He wanted to hold her in his arms until she felt better, he wanted to kiss all her troubles away, he just wanted to be with her.   
  
  


⠀⠀And most of all, he regretted not kissing her when he had the chance.   
  
  
  


⠀⠀They entered the Gryffindor Tower, receiving a few questioning looks from their fellow housemates, which they purposely ignored. They made it to the dormitory staircases without too much thought to their teasing peers, stopping before parting their ways.

⠀⠀"I'll give this back to you tomorrow?" Laurel asked, pointing at the sweatshirt she was wearing.

⠀⠀James paused for a moment, staring at her. He then shook his head.

⠀⠀"Keep it," he said, smirking a little. Then he lowered his voice, leaning in to her ear.

⠀⠀"It suits you."  
  
  
  



	14. BAFFLE ME

**WEEKS AFTER THE** broom ride in the rain, Laurel found herself in the Great Hall, not only tutoring Lavanya, but James as well. Castor had come down with a fever, and Callen cancelled his tutoring session for him, leaving time for James to try and learn first-year Herbology terms. Or at least what he liked to call a 'refresher course'.

⠀⠀And Lavanya was not having it.

⠀⠀"You say you are a good teacher, but you do not know a thing about Herbology," Lavanya scolded, her Indian accent heavier than usual as she was frustrated. "You should be glad Castor is good at this subject, Potter."

⠀⠀James just stuck out his tongue childishly at her, resuming to looking at the more complicated notes Laurel had written out to keep him occupied as she taught Lavanya. Lavanya rolled her eyes at James, returning to her textbook where Laurel had been teaching from. 

⠀⠀After a short quiz that Laurel gave Lavanya, the small Indian girl left the Great Hall smiling from ear to ear when she realized she had done better on this quiz than James had by one point. She skipped out of the Great Hall, making her way to the hospital wing to visit her sick friend, Castor.

⠀⠀Laurel started packing her belongings, smiling slightly in amusement at James' hurt behavior. "Look at you, holding your ego on your head like a crown. It's bound to fall off at some point."

⠀⠀"Yeah, but I didn't think it would fall off with a first-year Herbology vocabulary quiz," he grumbled, setting his quiz paper on fire with a quick flick of his wand. Laurel winced.

⠀⠀"You could've studied with that, you know," she said, swinging her bag over her shoulder, getting up to leave for the Gryffindor Tower.

⠀⠀"Not in the mood, Rels," James said bluntly, sulking. He followed Laurel, who paid his sudden change in mood no mind, out of the Great Hall, glaring at everyone who looked at them.

⠀⠀"Would you like me to tutor you some more after I complete all of my homework later?" Laurel asked out of pity, his mood starting to make its way through her limited attention. She stopped in front of the house portrait, waiting for his response.

⠀⠀"Fine," he said haughtily, causing her to roll his eyes at his natural egoistic male disposition. He said no more, shouting the password at the Fat Lady, who scolded him to no avail, for he did not heed a single word, slightly stomping into the Gryffindor Tower, leaving Laurel to trail behind him.

⠀⠀"I'll meet you here after dinner!" she called desperately after his quickly parting figure, which was already halfway up the steps to the boys' dormitory. All she got for a response was a loud grunt of acknowledgement, causing her to roll her eyes yet again, turning to go to her dormitory to finish up her homework with one thought on her mind.

⠀⠀James Potter was quite a piece of work.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**DOMINIQUE HAD TO DRAG** Laurel out of her bed in order for the blonde to go to dinner.

⠀⠀"You have to get your bloody arse out of this unnecessary schoolwork and eat, Laurel," Dominique scolded as she pulled on the girl's arm to go to dinner.

⠀⠀"This information could be helpful when I'm actually a Healer, Dom," Laurel countered. Dominique huffed furiously, throwing an exasperated look Callen's way for help.

⠀⠀"The only way you'll get that important information in your head is by being awake and well-fed, now come on," Callen managed to fish out of her mind. It seemed to convince Laurel, who gave into Dominique's tugs on her new sweater.

⠀⠀"Laurel, why are you wearing my cousin's sweatshirt?" Dominique asked, throwing her a suspicious look. Then her eyes grew. "You two aren't actually _fucking_ behind our backs, are you? Having his last name on your back isn't going to diffuse the last of the rumors, you know."

⠀⠀Laurel immediately threw a horrified look Dominique's way, but it wasn't enough to stop her cheeks from turning pink. " _What?_ " she spluttered.

⠀⠀"You two have been eye-fucking for months now, you can't fool us," Dominique said without hesitation. Callen just snorted, earning a playful smack from Laurel.

⠀⠀" _Eye-fucking_? What in the name of Merlin...?" Laurel sighed as they turned the corner nearing the Great Hall. "It's not like that. At all."

⠀⠀Dominique and Callen both threw her a look that meant they knew more than Laurel would've liked them to know, wiggling their eyebrows. They spent way too much time together.

⠀⠀"Fine," Laurel said, turning away from them, her face as hot as ever. "I like him, okay? Happy now?"

⠀⠀"Very," Callen said, smiling as she giggled a little. "And he likes you back, you know that, right?"

⠀⠀"How do you know?" Laurel asked, confused.

⠀⠀"His best friend happens to be my boyfriend, Laurel," Callen replied, chuckling as the blonde rolled her eyes. "I don't think you need reminding."

⠀⠀"And how long have you known?" Dominique asked, who was surprisingly quiet this whole time. She knew that James had a crush on Laurel back when they were younger, but she didn't think it would last this long. Merlin, she was smarter than this.

⠀⠀"Since last month," Callen said, shrugging as they sat down across from each other at the Gryffindor table. Laurel spotted Lavanya and waved hello to her, where the little girl smiled and waved back, returning to her seemingly interesting chat with Castor.

⠀⠀" _Last_ month?" Dominique asked incredulously, she threw Laurel a look, which caught the blonde's attention to pay some mind to the 'important' discussion happening. "You've kept it a secret for _that_ long?"

⠀⠀"Evan told me to," Callen replied simply, shrugging. "I thought it was obvious."

⠀⠀"Nothing that's obvious to us is obvious to Laurel, Cal, remember?" Dominique said, her eyebrows furrowed. Callen nodded resignedly in response. " _Fuck_...does he know that you know? James? Does he know?"

⠀⠀"Probably not," Callen said, shrugging once more. The raven-haired girl turned her brown eyes to her friend, which immediately made her smile. " _Oh_ —look at you, Laury, you're blushing."

⠀⠀"Shut up," Laurel said, her tone to gentle to match her words, hiding her face with her hands.

⠀⠀"You still haven't told me why you have his bloody sweatshirt," Dominique said, poking Laurel's side, just as Callen choked on her water across from the two of them.

⠀⠀Laurel looked up to see what was the matter, only to utter out, "speak of the devil."

⠀⠀"I mean, it did all start in _devil's_ snare, did it not?" Dominique whispered, keeping a wary eye on the three people that had just filed in. Evan plopped down next to Callen, followed by Asher who placed himself across from Dominique, and James, undoubtedly, resigned to a seat next to Laurel.

⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes, elbowing Dominique lightly as the redhead sniggered, who turned to talk to Asher. 

⠀⠀"Lovely sweatshirt," James said, smirking as he placed some toast on her empty plate (she didn't even realize), as well as on his own.

⠀⠀Laurel smirked right back on, raising an eyebrow, enjoying the bit of flirt inside the both of them they were exchanging, her eyes turning to the side of his face. "Wonder who I got it from."

⠀⠀"Oh, we all know who," James chuckled, looking at her, light chocolate brown meeting dark ocean blue. " _I'm_ the only Potter in Gryffindor."

⠀⠀"Well, aren't you bloody _special_ ," Laurel replied sarcastically, turning her gaze from him, munching on her toast. Her voice turned falsetto as she feigned and over-exaggerated drama queen, placing the back of her hand on her forehead like she was fainting. "What _ever_ shall the press say?!"

⠀⠀"How unlikely of a pair we'd be, that we're probably fucking behind our parents' backs," James said, half amused, half nonchalant. "They'll even write a two page article about it, along with a list of baby names."

⠀⠀Diva Laurel returned to normal Laurel, her gaze turning back to him, this time surprised. "They've done that?"

⠀⠀"They did that one time my mother's coworker borrowed her Quidditch sweatshirt and he was seen outside with it," James recalled passively. "They wrote about how she was cheating on Dad, they also theorized how their whole marriage was a setup and that she's actually with someone else...he was only borrowing her sweatshirt because he wanted to match with his daughter."

⠀⠀"His daughter?" Laurel questioned.

⠀⠀"She was a fan of my mum, so she couldn't believe it when she found out her dad worked with my mum," James said, shrugging. "Either way, the press went a bit berserk on that story, exaggerating it so badly, writing a two page article about it, and adding a list of baby names."

⠀⠀"You're kidding," Laurel exclaimed. "That's insane!"

⠀⠀"Some _really_ weird names were on it too," James recalled, "but let's not talk about that."

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, unresponsive as she slipped into her own thoughts. Could she deal with the press if she ever dated him? She felt as though if she did, her privacy wouldn't be respected and every little thing she did would be criticized by everyone in the wizarding world. Sure, the walls of the school kept them sheltered from the menacing flashes of the camera and the sharp words of the press, but once they rode those boats out of Hogwarts next year, there was nothing and no one to shield them from the reality of it all.

⠀⠀James Potter was not only the golden boy of Hogwarts, but of the entire magic world too. He was the son of Harry Potter and had expectations to live up to (even if Harry did not impose them on him), and the whole world was watching his every move.

⠀⠀Which included who he chose to love, and to love forever.   
  


⠀⠀Laurel looked at an unnoticing James, wishing deep down that he had a different last name, that he wasn't the first son of Harry Potter. _A rose by any other name would smell as sweet._  
  


⠀⠀And Laurel, after a long inward sigh, finally admitted to herself that she was in fact in love with James Sirius Potter.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

**THE LIBRARY HAD NEVER** been so packed. Laurel didn't know why, nor did she want to find out why. She set out on a mission to find two seats, finally finding a table for two by the Restricted Section, hoping James would find her there.

⠀⠀James and her set up another study session where she'd help him with Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. He was slowly getting better, but not at the level that she wanted him to be at. He wasn't bad with the subject at all; he was just slow.

⠀⠀"Hey," a familiar voice said behind her, tapping her on the shoulder as he slipped into the chair across from her.

⠀⠀She looked up from her notes and smiled. "How'd you find me, James?"

⠀⠀"I followed your heartbeat," James joked, Laurel rolling her eyes. "I'm kidding. I just searched the entire library. Who knew it would be this full today? If I'd known, we could've gone somewhere else."

⠀⠀"Like?" Laurel asked, tucking her hand under her chin, faking curiosity.

⠀⠀"The Astronomy Tower," James said as if it was so obvious.

⠀⠀"How _romantic_ ," Laurel said, wiggling her eyebrows.

⠀⠀"We're always doing seemingly romantic things together, aren't we?" James asked, a slight smirk on his face. He looked straight at her as if trying to hint something.

⠀⠀"That's because _you_ always suggest it," Laurel countered, flipping through her notes as she looked away from him. She was worried she might accidentally kiss him if they stared at each other for too long. "Every time we've done something seemingly romantic was because of you."

⠀⠀"Oh, so I'm the one to blame now?" James asked, pretending to be hurt. "You're the one who gave in to it."

⠀⠀"Sue me, Potter," Laurel said nonchalantly, passing him the piece of paper she had been looking for. "Just joking, we should worry about this Herbology exam first."

⠀⠀"Amazing, you are," James mused, beaming at Laurel. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met. Professor Longbottom won't even make study guides."

⠀⠀"I used those last year to help me study," Laurel said, feeling her face turn slightly pink at his remarks. "You're glad I didn't throw them away while cleaning out my trunk."

⠀⠀"Yeah, I am," James chuckled.

⠀⠀Laurel just smiled at him, not responding as she returned to her studies and leaving him to his, the quiet buzz of the library filling their ears. She immersed herself in her Astronomy notes covered in doodles of galaxies, moons, and stars, wondering why Pluto was such an underrated planet.   
  


⠀⠀The two had no idea they were being watched. At a table a two aisles way from them, Dominique, Callen, Evan, and Asher were all congregated covering their faces with books they weren't even interested in, attempting to spy on the two emerging lovebirds studying.

⠀⠀"And now," Evan said boredly, tapping his pen on his chin, "we wait."

⠀⠀"What are we doing here, exactly?" Asher asked the two very attentive girls who quickly hissed at him to quiet down.

⠀⠀"It's about time they got together, don't you think?" Callen said, dreamily. "I mean, look at them."

⠀⠀"And all four of us know their feelings are mutual?" Asher asked.

⠀⠀"Yep," Dominique said, her eyes on Laurel and James. "It has been confirmed by you two."

⠀⠀"Well, Callen and I have known," Evan said, pointing at the two of them. "You two are just late in the game."

⠀⠀"No, you two just don't inform your fellow teammates on the game plan," Dominique countered, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I've always known. I just needed confirmation."

⠀⠀The other three exchanged skeptical glances, all hiding their chuckles. "Sure, Dom, _suuuure_."

⠀⠀Dominique rolled her eyes again, unresponsive as she attempted to complete her homework while the other three watched Laurel and James carefully.

⠀⠀"I _actually_ have an exam to study for," Callen said, flipping open her books, "so if you three want to continue spying, by all means."

⠀⠀"Nerd," all three said in unison, causing them all to laugh rather loudly, immediately hiding behind their books in hopes that Laurel and James wouldn't notice. When they peeked back up, they were in luck: James and Laurel were too immersed in each other's eyes as they conversed to even notice the commotion around them.

⠀⠀  
⠀⠀James looked away from her for a second, pointing at something she had written down in her notes. "What in _bloody hell_ are Nargles?"

⠀⠀The blonde grinned. "I wrote a five page article on them. Want to read?"

⠀⠀"No, I'm good," James immediately answered, raising his hands in surrender.

⠀⠀Laurel rolled her eyes at him, turning her attention back to her notes, closing it, faking dejection. "Well, if you don't have a genuine question, I reckon my work here is done."

⠀⠀James, falling for it, immediately perked up, not wanting Laurel to leave. "No, no, please stay. Feel free to tell me all about these... _margles_."

⠀⠀" _Nargles_ ," Laurel corrected, laughing. "And I thought you didn't want to know?" She cocked her eyebrow, smirking a little. _What a flirt_ , James thought, smirking back.

⠀⠀"Well, I enjoy your company, so if it's the only way to keep you here, by all means," James said, playing along with her little game. Besides, he wasn't lying about enjoying her presence. He obviously felt more than just enjoyment, but that wasn't the point. 

⠀⠀Being around her felt utterly exhilarating, as if she were his wings and he could fly. Her laugh was a new song in his ears every time he heard it, her blue-eyed gaze beamed down on him like the sunlight warming one up on a cold day, and her smile filled him to the brim with happiness. No man on earth could be as happy as him to be existing along with Laurel Scamander.

⠀⠀Laurel chuckled, blushing a little. Enough for him to notice, but not enough that it was obvious. She ran her hand through her hair, sticking her wand on her ear like a pencil. James found it endearing, smiling at it. But it wasn't like she noticed it.

⠀⠀Her eyes looked down at her textbook, reading the same sentence again and again, her cheeks slightly burning. She had a feeling she was being watched, trying to busy herself to distraction. But she could feel his eyes on her, and she suddenly felt inexplicably shy. Laurel hid her face with her blonde locks, shielding it from him; he couldn't see her in this state.

⠀⠀"I'll be right back," Laurel said, moving quickly out her chair, almost startling him. "I'm going to do a bit of research on... _moonstones_."

⠀⠀"I'll come with," James said, getting up with her.

⠀⠀Laurel's eyes widened. "I—er— _no_ , it's quite alright. I won't have any trouble at all."

⠀⠀With that, she ran off, to the left side of the library, which James found odd, since all the books about moonstones were on the right side. His eyes followed her, finding her looking through random books that were definitely not on moonstones.

⠀⠀James, chuckling, got up from his seat and found her in the Care of Magical Creatures aisle, pushing his hands in his pockets as he slowly crept up on her, where she seemed quite focused on the book in her hands, her face unnaturally flushed. Then with a quick movement, he briefly squeezed her waist together, as if to tickle her, startling her so badly, she knocked down her entire pile of books with a small shriek.

⠀⠀"What the bloody fuck, James?" Laurel exclaimed as she watched him shake with silent laughter. She wasn't even mad at him, generally speaking; she had become quite fond of his laugh. Her breath hitched; _his hands were still there._

⠀⠀"I don't think that book is about moonstones, Rels," James said quietly, his mouth so close to her ear she could feel his breath down her neck. It was startling and...frankly, almost carnal.

⠀⠀Laurel gently moved herself out of his light grasp, turning around to face him, the book being the only thing keeping them apart. He was still close, _too close_. She even noticed that he had left his glasses at their table. "I thought I said not to follow me."

⠀⠀" _Maybe_ ," James almost whispered, smirking, "I like being around you."

⠀⠀" _Maybe_ ," Laurel copied his tone, rolling her eyes in amusement, moving gently out of his grasp, "I like being alone."

⠀⠀"You sure?" James snarked, the curl of his lip unmistakable. "I think if you truly did, you would've ignored me."

⠀⠀"Do you realize how _un_ -ignorable you are?" Laurel said, chuckling a little.

⠀⠀"That isn't a word," James said, in a sing-song fashion, he moved a little closer to her, but it wasn't like she noticed. "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

⠀⠀"Take it as both, Potter," Laurel said, her eyes returning to the words on her book, leaning on the ledge the bookshelf offered.

⠀⠀James didn't say anything, his brown eyes not wavering from her face. And she felt it, feeling hot all over.

⠀⠀"James," she said, not looking up, "why are you staring at me?"

⠀⠀ _Ah_ , he thought, _finally caught_. Maybe he should tell her now exactly how he felt about her. He knew she felt the same way, she was just masking it with denial and ignorance.

⠀⠀James didn't answer, simply because he couldn't really find the words. He scoffed inwardly; him, a poet, couldn't find the words. _I can't find the_ right _words._ Part of him wanted to tell her it was because she was beautiful, the other wanted to stay silent. He just kept on staring, even when she looked up, her blue eyes hitting him.

⠀⠀"I think if I told you, you would never talk to me again," he said finally, his honesty taking control of his tongue. 

⠀⠀"Baffle me then, Potter," Laurel said, finally realizing how close they were. His face wasn't far from hers, she was leaning on the bookshelf still, him next to her, their heads turned, faces barely inches apart. She could feel his breath on her face, as if being in this close of a vicinity to her made his heart beat fast. It probably did and she wished for supernatural hearing just to listen to it. 

⠀⠀James didn't reply, but smirked a little. His eyes wandered her face, flicking down to her lips for a mere second before averting them back to her blue eyes. They never left his eyes. Laurel wanted to kiss him badly, but for some reason, part of her didn't. She didn't want to be in a relationship again. It was as if James popped in out of nowhere, right as she was starting to get comfortable with being single again. And, _Merlin_ , she hated him for it.

⠀⠀"Well," James finally said quietly, his voice catching slightly in his throat, he was going to say it, _right now, right there,_ "I think," his heartbeat had never felt faster, "you look very beautiful."

⠀⠀ _Fuck,_ he thought, _fuck fuck fuck, that's not what you were supposed to say, Jameseykins!_

⠀⠀Laurel looked at him, grinning slightly. " _What_?"

⠀⠀He breathed. "I said, Rels...you look very beautiful."

⠀⠀She smirked then. "You, James Potter, will have to work harder than that to baffle me." 

⠀⠀James' anxiety dissipated. He smiled, rolling his eyes. She wanted a challenge, so a challenge he'd be. "Want to be baffled even more?"

⠀⠀"By all means, Pudding Boy," Laurel said, chuckling at the nickname (James, weirdly enough, found the chuckle rather sexy).

⠀⠀James' eyes flew down to her lips again. _This would_ really _baffle her._  
  


⠀⠀He moved in close, their lips only inches apart, shocking her slightly. But she wanted to see how far he'd go. 

⠀⠀"Still not baffled?" James whispered, his hands snaking around her waist.

⠀⠀"Nope," Laurel whispered back, dropping the book. "We've been this close before, haven't we?"

⠀⠀"What are you encouraging?" James snarked, smirking.

⠀⠀Laurel didn't respond for a moment, letting their foreheads meet. "I think you know," she finally said, her words almost inaudible.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀It was like slow motion. He dove in, moving forward, his lips on hers. It felt like a sigh of relief shaking through his body, finally being able to kiss her. _He was in heaven._ Nothing was going through his mind except the fact that he was kissing her. _Finally_.

⠀⠀Her arms flung themselves around his neck, pulling him closer. She was kissing him back, and it was exhilarating. His lips were ravaging hers, as if it was their last kiss, but, _oh_ , it was just their first. They were soft and warm, and they felt like... _fire._ The flames were licking at her lips and they left marks, but his kiss made her feel _alive_. Her breath hitched every time his hands moved on her waist, her fingers entangled in his dark hair. She was breathless, but the feeling in her stomach was too good to let go of. She was kissing _James Potter._  
  
  
  


⠀⠀Suddenly, flashes of Liam flew through her mind, and she felt herself choking. Laurel let go of James, pulling herself out of his grasp, covering her face, tears threatening to fall. _Why was she thinking of Liam? This was James! She even_ wanted _to kiss him._

⠀⠀"Rels?" James asked, slightly breathless, his hair just a little bit more untidy than usual. He moved towards her, wrapping his hands around her. "Are you okay?"

⠀⠀"I'm...I'm sorry, James," she said quietly, pushing him away gently, "I have to go."

⠀⠀With that, she grabbed the book she dropped on the floor and rushed away, trying not to wallow up in self-hatred right then and there, leaving James to fend for himself.  
  
  
  


⠀⠀As soon as she was out of eyeshot and earshot, he cursed internally. His anxiety flew up again, the same words from earlier echoing in his mind, except slightly different this time.

⠀⠀ _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, that's not what you were supposed to_ do _, Jameseykins!_

⠀⠀And the worst of all: _it's all your fault._  
  
  
  



End file.
